My Tesla's Autopilot Caused a Crash in Thousand Oaks: Do I Have a Case?

Curt Brown, Esq. — Founding Partner

Local Thousand Oaks Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Curt Brown is a founding partner at L&F Brown. He grew up in Thousand Oaks, attended Thousand Oaks High School, graduated from UCLA Law School, and has spent his career representing injured residents across the Conejo Valley.

Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features have been involved in thousands of crashes nationwide, including incidents on US-101 through Thousand Oaks and on local streets like Moorpark Road and Westlake Blvd. If you were injured in a crash caused or contributed to by a Tesla operating on Autopilot, you may have a personal injury case against the Tesla driver, against Tesla itself, or against both.

What Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Actually Do

Despite the names, Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems are driver assistance features, not fully autonomous driving systems. Tesla explicitly states that drivers must remain alert and ready to take control at all times. However, the marketing of these systems has led many drivers to over-rely on them, removing their hands from the wheel and their attention from the road for extended periods.

When a Tesla driver using Autopilot fails to monitor the road and a crash results, that driver can be held liable for negligence. The fact that they delegated control to an automated system does not excuse them from their duty to maintain safe control of their vehicle. California law still holds drivers responsible for the safe operation of their vehicles regardless of what driver assistance features are engaged.

Can You Sue Tesla Directly?

In some circumstances, you may have a product liability claim directly against Tesla. If the Autopilot or Full Self-Driving system malfunctioned, failed to detect an obstacle it should have detected, or behaved in a way that fell below the standards Tesla represented to consumers, Tesla may bear direct liability for injuries caused by that failure.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has investigated multiple Tesla Autopilot crashes, and there is substantial public documentation of system failures. An experienced attorney can evaluate whether the specific circumstances of your Thousand Oaks crash support a product liability claim against Tesla in addition to or instead of a negligence claim against the driver.

Tesla Crashes on US-101 Through Thousand Oaks

US-101 through Thousand Oaks is a common location for Tesla Autopilot use. Drivers using Autopilot on highway stretches between the Lynn Road interchange and Moorpark Road may reduce their active engagement with driving, creating risks for other motorists. When the CHP responds to a crash on US-101 involving a Tesla, their report will typically note whether the vehicle was in an assisted driving mode at the time of the crash.

Your attorney can request Tesla's own data from the vehicle's event data recorder, which captures information about whether Autopilot was engaged, what inputs the driver made, and the system's status in the seconds before the crash. This data can be powerful evidence in either a negligence or product liability claim.

Injuries and Damages in Tesla Autopilot Cases

Tesla Autopilot crashes on high-speed routes like US-101 can produce catastrophic injuries. Emergency treatment at Los Robles Regional Medical Center and long-term rehabilitation costs can be substantial. Damages in Tesla-related crash cases may include medical expenses, lost wages and earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and in cases of egregious conduct, potentially punitive damages against the manufacturer.

Ventura County Filing and Jurisdiction

Personal injury lawsuits arising from Tesla crashes in Thousand Oaks are filed in Ventura County Superior Court. Product liability claims against Tesla may also be pursued in federal court depending on the circumstances. Your attorney will advise you on the appropriate venue for your specific case.

If you were injured in a Tesla Autopilot crash in Thousand Oaks, contact L&F Brown for a free consultation. Our Thousand Oaks car accident lawyers have experience with technology-related auto cases and will investigate every avenue of liability. Visit our Thousand Oaks personal injury page to get started.