Tesla has received an extension to prepare for a lawsuit initiated by a customer representing drivers from eleven U.S. states, alleging the company overcharged for insurance.
In a lawsuit filed last year, a Tesla customer accused the automaker of using “false” crash warnings to raise insurance premiums rather than relying on accurate driving data.
Tesla Insurance calculates premiums based on real-time driving metrics via a Safety Score. These metrics include:
- Forward Collision Warnings per 1,000 non-Autopilot miles
- Hard Braking
- Aggressive Turning
- Unsafe Following
- Excessive Speeding
- Late-Night Driving
- Forced Autopilot Disengagement
- Unbuckled Driving
However, the lawsuit contends that Tesla employed a series of “false” forward collision warnings to increase insurance costs. It also alleges that Tesla breached California’s unfair competition law.
In recent court proceedings, Tesla’s attorney mentioned that gathering the necessary information for their defense is taking longer than expected due to the involvement of multiple states. Additionally, the departure of a Tesla employee who was collaborating with external attorneys has added to the complexity.
Tesla revises late-night driving and its impact on Safety Score
Min Kang, Tesla’s lawyer, commented that the employee’s departure has “complicated things.” Tesla made two attempts last year to dismiss the lawsuit, but judges denied both motions.
The states involved in the case are Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Virginia, as reported by Reuters.
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