The family of a Texas woman who was killed after a Tesla Model 3 crashed into her home has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the automaker and the vehicle's driver, alleging shortcomings in Tesla's automated driving assistance systems contributed to the fatal incident.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Harris County District Court, seeks more than $1 million in damages as well as punitive damages, claiming Tesla failed to adequately warn drivers about alleged defects in its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies.
The crash occurred on June 19 in Katy, Texas, when the vehicle left the roadway and struck the residence, fatally injuring 76-year-old Martha Avila, who later died at a hospital.
According to the lawsuit and law enforcement, driver Michael Butler told authorities he had engaged the vehicle's automated driving assistance system before the crash.
Investigators said Butler was not under the influence of alcohol and is cooperating with authorities.
The lawsuit also names Butler as a defendant.
Jennifer and Justin Barbour, Avila's daughter and son-in-law, allege Tesla's technology and warnings were insufficient, while Justin Barbour was also injured in the crash.
Their attorney said the vehicle was allegedly traveling at more than 70 miles per hour when it struck the home.
The family has requested access to Tesla's crash data, arguing it could provide additional information about the incident.
The home was left uninhabitable, and the family has since been staying in a hotel while preparing funeral arrangements.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on X, "Yes, this makes no sense. FSD drives slowly through neighborhood streets and this was a high speed crash!"
Tesla's head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, later stated that the driver manually overrode the self-driving system by fully pressing the accelerator before the collision.
The family's attorney said those social media statements do not provide the complete picture and maintained that the investigation remains ongoing.
The crash is being investigated by local authorities, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The lawsuit comes as Tesla continues expanding its automated driving initiatives, including the rollout of robotaxi services and broader deployment of its Full Self-Driving technology across the United States.