A Houston lady sued Tesla final month after she says her Cybertruck, allegedly working in self-driving mode, was captured on digicam almost sending her and her toddler off a bridge earlier than finally crashing into an overpass barrier.
The girl, who claims she suffered a number of accidents within the August 2025 incident, is suing Tesla for $1 million in a legal responsibility and negligence case, in accordance with the lawsuit.
“On August 18, 2025, our shopper Justine Saint Amour was driving her Tesla Cybertruck on Houston’s 69 Eastex Freeway with autopilot engaged,” Legal professional Bob Hilliard mentioned in a press release to FOX Enterprise.
“One thing terrifying occurred, with out warning, the car tried to drive straight off an overpass.”
Within the dashcam video of the incident, driver Justine Saint Amour was in a Cybertruck that was anticipated to comply with a right-hand curve of a Y-shaped overpass.
The automotive then appeared to barely flip, persevering with straight forward, earlier than violently crashing right into a concrete barrier on the overpass. Because it ricocheted from the affect, elements of the car have been seen flying off.
Amour’s lawyer added that simply earlier than the crash, she disengaged the driver-assistance characteristic and tried to take management of the wheel. Nevertheless, the car was already too far in movement for any intervention to be efficient, the legislation agency indicated.
“She tried to take management, however crashed into the barrier and was significantly injured (principally her shoulder, neck, and again),” Hilliard mentioned.
Saint Amour suffered critical accidents to her proper shoulder, neck and again, together with two herniated discs in her decrease again and one in her neck, the Austin American-Statesman reported, citing Hilliard Regulation. Saint Amour additionally sprained the tendons in her wrist and suffered nerve harm to her proper hand, which may trigger numbness, a burning sensation and total weak point, the lawsuit claimed.
Native outlet KHOU 11 added that her 1-year-old baby was additionally within the backseat in the course of the incident however was unhurt.
The lawsuit alleged that Tesla misrepresented the capabilities of its driver-assistance system and was negligent within the design of its “Autopilot” characteristic. It additionally claimed that the corporate failed to include security mechanisms akin to more practical emergency braking techniques or liDAR, a sensing know-how that measures distances.
“Tesla’s self driving depends on low cost video cameras alone, with no LiDar,” Hilliard mentioned. “The car additionally lacks a correct driver alert system to make sure drivers are able to take over driving.”
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Hilliard Regulation posted a press release on social media final Wednesday, saying “Tesla might have averted all of this by not chopping corners.”
“Tesla’s choices made Justine’s accident inevitable,” Hilliard added. “This firm needs drivers to consider and belief their life on a lie: that the car can self-drive and that it may possibly achieve this safely. It could’t, and it doesn’t.”
The lawsuit, filed in Harris County District Courtroom, comes as Tesla was just lately compelled to adjust to California rules over false promoting claims associated to its “Autopilot” characteristic.
The case, filed by the California DMV in 2022, alleged that Tesla misleadingly marketed its superior driver help techniques as autonomous driving know-how underneath the names “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving.”
Whereas the automaker tried to problem the ruling, it finally adjusted the system’s “Navigate on Autopilot” title to “Navigate on Autosteer,” amongst different rebranding adjustments.
Tesla’s shift is a part of a high-stakes effort to guard its enterprise whereas aggressively increasing its fleet of Robotaxi companies, together with the current launch of the Cybercab — a totally autonomous ride-hailing car designed and not using a steering wheel, pedals or any bodily controls.
FOX Enterprise reached out to Tesla for remark, however didn’t hear again.
