This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
Tesla is facing a new lawsuit over its self-driving technology.
In 2024, Jeffrey Nissen, a 28-year-old man, was riding a motorcycle when he was killed in a crash with a Tesla vehicle that was using the company’s self-driving feature. Now, Nissen’s family is suing Tesla, claiming the car’s system caused the deadly crash.
Nissen was a Stanwood resident.
Jeff Nissen, Jeffrey’s father, said Tesla misled people into thinking cars can do more than they can, according to The Seattle Times. The family wants damages and for Tesla to stop selling its Autopilot feature until it’s proven safe.
The fatal accident
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by The Seattle Times, the Tesla driver told a Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper he was looking at his phone and using the car’s Autopilot feature when he crashed and ran over Nissen. Internal Tesla data revealed the driver had enabled the self-driving feature approximately two minutes before the crash. The driver’s hands were off the steering wheel for more than a minute before the crash.
While the Tesla driver was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide, he was never criminally charged for the fatal crash.
Tesla’s ongoing legal battles
Tesla has been involved in multiple legal battles specifically related to crashes involving its vehicle’s Autopilot feature. Tesla lost its first trial in 2025. In 2024, NHTSA investigated Tesla regarding crashes involving Autopilot-equipped vehicles into emergency vehicles. The federal agency found 11 incidents that resulted in 17 injuries and one death.
“They’re using these people as guinea pigs. As test subjects,” Attorney Simeon Osborn, who represents the Nissen family, told The Seattle Times. “How many people are going to die before they take it off the market?”
Tesla has not commented on the situation, as of this reporting.
This is a developing story, check back for updates