In an Indiana court ruling, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla and one of its employees have been found partially responsible for a 2017 collision involving a company-owned Ford truck and a motorcycle, resulting in severe injuries to the motorcyclist.
The Marion County jury, on Wednesday, decreed that Tesla and its employee, Kyle Kaszuba, are obligated to pay over $42 million in damages to the victim, Christopher Dugan.
However, the jury also determined that Dugan bore 30% responsibility for the incident, thus reducing the initial sought-after compensation of $60 million.
According to Dugan’s assertions in the initial complaint, the collision transpired as Kaszuba was driving a 2014 Ford vehicle owned by Tesla, either with the company’s authorization or while fulfilling his duties as a Tesla employee.
Allegedly, while exiting an Indianapolis gas station, Dugan found himself in the right-hand traffic lane when Kaszuba, operating the Tesla-owned Ford Super Duty, recklessly maneuvered the vehicle across two lanes, aiming to enter a parking lot adjacent to the gas station.
The impact of the collision propelled Dugan off his motorcycle, resulting in severe injuries including partial amputation, permanent disfigurement, and a traumatic brain injury, all attributed directly to the negligence of Tesla and Kyle Kaszuba.
In their defense, Tesla’s legal representatives contended that Kaszuba wasn’t negligent and argued that Dugan’s proximity to another vehicle hindered visibility. Conversely, Nick Rowley, Dugan’s attorney, argued that Kaszuba’s haste to reach work contributed to the accident.
The gas station’s location, situated just beyond a ramp to I-465, Indianapolis’s perimeter highway, adds context to the incident’s circumstances.
