Elon Musk’s Tesla is currently dealing with a high-profile case involving allegations that its Autopilot feature caused a fatal accident. The trial, which began in California on September 28, claims that a Model 3 owner died when the software malfunctioned and caused the vehicle to veer off the highway, hit a tree, and ignite. The driver, Micah Lee, was killed, and two passengers were injured.

While this is a civil lawsuit, the outcome could have significant implications for the automotive industry as a whole. Tesla’s software has been linked to several other crashes, including a nine-car pileup that occurred shortly after the Full Self-Driving beta was made available to customers. A report from the summer of 2023 suggests that over 730 car accidents have been connected to Tesla’s self-driving system. Earlier this year, Tesla had to recall 360,000 vehicles due to concerns about their self-driving software.