Elon Musk is asking Apple to help in Tesla crash lawsuit- Details

Tesla is preparing for a court case regarding a deadly Autopilot crash, with the family of the deceased claiming the technology is defective. Tesla seeks Apple's help in proving the driver was distracted by an iPhone game during the accident.

Tesla's Autopilot safety under scrutiny as it turns to Apple for help in a deadly crash lawsuit. (REUTERS)

In an effort to strengthen its case in a heated lawsuit over the safety of its Autopilot system, Tesla is looking to Apple for help. The case, which stems from a fatal crash involving a Tesla Model X in 2018, resulted in a legal battle over the circumstances of the accident.

The incident happened when the car, running in Autopilot mode, crashed with a safety barrier on US Highway 101 in Mountain View, California, killing Wei "Walter" Huang, a former Apple engineer. Huang's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla, claiming that the Autopilot technology was flawed and contributed to the incident, reported 9to5mac.

On the other side, Tesla claims that Huang was distracted by his iPhone while driving, especially playing a game at the time of the accident. However, data retrieved from Huang's phone by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was inconclusive as to whether he was actively using his cellphone at the time of the disaster.

Tesla now aims to strengthen its case by enlisting the assistance of Apple, Huang's previous employer. The electric carmaker hopes to use Apple data analysis to prove that Huang was using his iPhone at the time of the deadly incident.

According to court filings, Tesla has obtained a sworn statement from James Harding, an Apple engineering manager, who examined telemetry data from Huang's phone. Harding's investigation reveals that there may have been some user contact during the incident, such as screen touches or button pushes.

However, disagreements have emerged between Tesla and Apple around the sharing of sensitive information. While Tesla seeks greater cooperation from Apple, the tech giant has refused to disclose any information, citing concerns over the leaking of confidential material.

The upcoming trial, scheduled to commence next week in San Jose, is expected to delve into the issues of liability in accidents involving autonomous driving technology. With the study scheduled to last two months, the results might have far-reaching consequences for the future development and regulation of such sophisticated vehicle technologies.

Tesla's request for proof from Apple highlights the complexities of the legal dispute over the Autopilot disaster, highlighting concerns about accountability and duty in the area of self-driving vehicles.

One more thing! We are now on WhatsApp Channels! Follow us there so you never miss any updates from the world of technology. ‎To follow the HT Tech channel on WhatsApp, click here to join now!