Tesla Discreetly Resolves Lawsuit Over Unintended Acceleration Related to Fatal Model Y Accident | Carscoops
The lawsuit also alleged that the automatic emergency braking system in the Model Y failed to activate.
Tesla has resolved a wrongful death lawsuit related to a crash involving a Model Y in 2021, which resulted in the driver's death.
The electric vehicle reportedly accelerated unexpectedly, colliding with a pillar at a gas station.
The financial details of Tesla’s settlement in this Model Y case remain undisclosed.
In an effort to circumvent the complications of a highly publicized trial, Tesla settled a wrongful death lawsuit concerning the 2021 death of a Model Y driver. Although the specifics of the settlement are not public, it appears that Tesla opted to pay rather than continue battling in U.S. courts.
In April 2021, 72-year-old Clyde Leach was operating his Tesla Model Y in Ohio when it seemingly accelerated without warning, leaving the roadway and crashing into a gas station pillar. Leach reportedly succumbed to burns, blunt force trauma, and other injuries. His estate subsequently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla, with the trial initially slated for April 2026.
A document submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California confirmed that both Leach’s estate and Tesla had reached a settlement for all claims.
The original lawsuit stated that the Model Y's automatic emergency braking system failed to activate before the fatal crash, nor did it utilize any other automated safety features. Furthermore, Leach’s estate contended that Tesla was aware of “numerous complaints of sudden acceleration” pertaining to its vehicles prior to the 2021 incident.
As has occurred in previous cases, Tesla denied the claims, asserting that Leach was entirely responsible for the crash.
In October of the previous year, Leach’s estate requested a San Francisco judge to impose sanctions on Tesla for hindering settlement discussions. They indicated an agreement had been made for a confidential amount, but later discovered that Tesla's representative lacked the authority to approve a settlement independently.
This is not the first instance of Tesla settling a wrongful death lawsuit in the United States. In April 2024, the company settled a claim brought by the family of Walter Huang, who died in 2018 while using the Autopilot feature in his Model X.
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Tesla Discreetly Resolves Lawsuit Over Unintended Acceleration Related to Fatal Model Y Accident | Carscoops
The lawsuit also asserted that the automatic emergency braking system of the Model Y failed to activate.