Appellate Victory on Tesla’s Autopilot Technology

Quinn Emanuel recently secured an important appellate victory for Tesla and its groundbreaking Autopilot technology. This precedent-setting decision furthers Tesla’s mission to continue making cars ever safer and more sustainable.

The case, Banner v. Tesla, Inc., centered around Autopilot—a revolutionary innovation that allows vehicles to operate and navigate with less and less human oversight. Over the past decade, Autopilot has transformed from an advanced cruise control device into a nearly fully autonomous driving system. Today, Autopilot increases road safety by a factor of 10x, and that number is increasing every day.

But bleeding-edge innovations can become targets for the plaintiff’s bar. Over the past decade, plaintiffs across the country have reflexively sued Tesla whenever there is an accident involving Autopilot. Recently, the plaintiffs’ playbook has featured bringing punitive damages claims against Tesla on the grounds that it has exaggerated Autopilot’s capabilities and caused drivers to over-rely on the technology.

In Banner, a Florida trial court wrongly allowed a plaintiff to pursue punitive damages against Tesla based on aspirational statements—which have since proven true—about the future of Autopilot. Quinn Emanuel led the effort to overturn this decision, together with assistance from co-counsel Bowman & Brooke. Quinn Emanuel submitted its appellate brief on January 16, 2024.

On February 26, 2025, the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal unanimously reversed the trial court’s decision—endorsing Quinn Emanuel’s arguments and resolving the appeal on the papers. The appellate court’s decision wiped away the risk of punitive damages in this case and set a powerful precedent for other courts to follow.