Following a 2017 collision involving a company-owned Ford truck and a motorcycle, an Indiana jury has determined that electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla and one of its employees, Kyle Kaszuba, share partial liability. The accident resulted in severe injuries to the motorcyclist, Christopher Dugan, including partial amputation, permanent disfigurement, and a traumatic brain injury. As a consequence, Tesla and Kaszuba have been ordered to compensate Dugan with damages exceeding $42 million, as declared in a verdict announced by a Marion County jury on Wednesday.
The jury determined that Dugan bore 30% responsibility for the collision, resulting in a reduction of the compensation from $60 million to $42 million. According to reports, Dugan’s legal representatives had initially sought a much higher award of $191 million. Dugan alleged in his initial complaint that the accident took place while Kaszuba was driving a 2014 Ford vehicle owned by Tesla, either with the company’s permission or while fulfilling his duties as a Tesla employee.
As per the allegations, Dugan had left an Indianapolis gas station and was traveling in the “right-hand traffic lane” when Kaszuba, driving the Tesla-owned Ford Super Duty, purportedly maneuvered the vehicle “carelessly” across two lanes of traffic in an attempt to enter a parking lot adjacent to the gas station. According to the complaint, Kaszuba’s actions led to a collision between the truck and Dugan’s motorcycle, causing Dugan to be thrown from the motorcycle and sustaining severe injuries. These injuries are claimed to be “a direct and immediate consequence of the negligence exhibited by the Defendants, Tesla, Inc., and Kyle Kaszuba,” as outlined in the complaint.
According to the Courtroom View Network, attorneys representing Tesla from Quinn Emanuel contended that Kaszuba did not act negligently, suggesting that Dugan was following a vehicle closely, which impeded Kaszuba’s ability to see him. On the other hand, Nick Rowley, an attorney representing Dugan, argued that Kaszuba was hurrying to reach work. The crash took place near a gas station situated just outside a ramp leading to I-465, the beltway encircling Indianapolis.
