Overview

• In a filing in Miami federal court, Tesla asked the judge to throw out the jury’s decision or order a new trial, with a fallback request to sharply reduce damages.
• The company contends driver George McGee’s admitted distraction and override of safety features caused the 2019 Key Largo crash, not any defect in Enhanced Autopilot.
• Tesla says plaintiffs improperly used Musk’s public statements and suggestions of missing vehicle data, arguments it claims unfairly prejudiced the jury.
• Tesla seeks to cut compensatory damages from about $129 million to $69 million and to eliminate or cap punitive damages, which it says would leave roughly a $23 million payment if liability stands.
• The July verdict found Tesla one‑third at fault and followed a rejected $60 million settlement offer, and the outcome is being closely watched by automakers concerned about liability for supervised driver‑assist systems.