Tesla is under scrutiny once again as the family of Genesis Giovanni Mendoza-Martinez, a 2023 crash victim, takes the electric vehicle giant to court. The lawsuit accuses Tesla of “fraudulent misrepresentation” of its Autopilot technology, alleging it directly contributed to the fatal collision in Walnut Creek, California. Mendoza-Martinez was driving a 2021 Model S when the car struck a parked fire truck, resulting in his death and severe injuries to his brother, Caleb, who was a passenger.
The Mendoza family initially filed the case in Contra Costa County, but Tesla recently succeeded in moving it to federal court in California’s Northern District. The shift in venue is significant, as fraud claims often face higher standards of proof in federal courts.
Allegations of Misrepresentation
The family’s legal team argues that Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, have long exaggerated the capabilities of Autopilot to boost the company’s public image and financial performance. The complaint highlights promotional tweets, blog posts, and public statements by Musk, portraying Tesla’s driving systems as more autonomous and reliable than they actually are.
“Tesla misled consumers about the safety and functionality of Autopilot to generate excitement and improve its bottom line,” said Brett Schreiber, the family’s attorney.
Tesla’s Defense: Driver Negligence
Tesla’s attorneys, however, claim the driver’s own negligence caused the crash. In their legal response, they asserted that the company’s vehicles and systems are designed with “reasonable safety” and comply with state and federal regulations. The automaker also denied that any reliance on Tesla’s representations was a “substantial factor” in the incident.
Tesla has not issued a public statement on the matter, and attempts to reach company representatives for comment were unsuccessful.
A Broader Pattern of Legal Challenges
This lawsuit is far from an isolated case for Tesla. At least 15 similar lawsuits are active across the United States, focusing on crashes allegedly linked to Tesla’s Autopilot or its Full Self-Driving (FSD) systems. Three of these cases have also moved to federal courts.
While Autopilot is a standard feature in Tesla vehicles, FSD is a premium upgrade that users can access through an upfront payment or a subscription. Both systems are marketed as partially autonomous and require driver supervision, but their safety has come under increasing scrutiny from regulators and safety advocates.
Ongoing Investigations and Regulatory Actions
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been investigating Tesla’s Autopilot technology since 2021. This inquiry includes the fatal Walnut Creek crash and other incidents involving stationary emergency vehicles. NHTSA has also raised concerns about Tesla’s social media campaigns, warning that they may mislead drivers into overestimating the system’s capabilities.
Tesla has responded with over-the-air software updates and other modifications, but a secondary NHTSA probe is examining whether these measures are sufficient.
Meanwhile, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has filed its own lawsuit, accusing Tesla of false advertising related to its Autopilot and FSD claims.
Musk’s Bold Claims Amid Rising Competition
Despite legal and regulatory challenges, Elon Musk continues to promote Tesla’s self-driving ambitions. Over the weekend, he urged his 206.5 million X (formerly Twitter) followers to showcase Tesla’s FSD technology to friends, calling it “magic.” Musk has promised fully autonomous driving since 2014, but Tesla has yet to deliver a functional robotaxi.
Competitors like Waymo and Pony.ai are already operating commercial autonomous fleets, highlighting the growing competition Tesla faces in the self-driving space.
As Tesla rolls out a new version of FSD, the Mendoza case and similar lawsuits cast a shadow over the company’s ambitious claims and its future in autonomous driving.
