Tesla Sued Over Fatal Autopilot Crash Involving Model S in New Jersey

Tesla is facing a wrongful death lawsuit following a deadly crash involving a 2024 Model S equipped with Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) features. The crash occurred on September 14, 2024, on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey, killing David and Michele Dryerman, both 54, and their 17-year-old daughter, Brooke. The family was returning from a music festival when the vehicle veered off the road in Woodbridge Township, striking a sign, guardrail, and concrete bridge support.

Filed in federal court in Camden, New Jersey, the lawsuit alleges Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) was “defective and unreasonably dangerous,” causing the car to leave its lane and fail to apply emergency braking. The plaintiffs, including the victims' surviving son Max Dryerman, are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

The complaint also accuses Tesla of misleading safety claims, referencing Elon Musk’s 2016 statement that Autopilot was “probably better” than human drivers. It argues that many Tesla owners trust the technology as capable of full self-driving, despite Tesla’s own statements that drivers must remain attentive and keep hands on the wheel.

In December 2023, Tesla recalled over 2 million vehicles in the U.S. under pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to improve Autopilot safety protocols. Despite these measures, the lawsuit claims Tesla failed to adequately warn the Dryermans about the system’s limitations.

Tesla has not yet commented on the case, Dryerman et al v Tesla Inc, filed in the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey (No. 25-11997).

The lawsuit adds to growing scrutiny over Tesla’s autonomous driving technology, which remains under federal investigation for multiple fatal crashes involving its vehicles.