Lawsuit Says Tesla Autopilot Missed a Curve Before Fatal Model X CrashAutoblogPablo SalapantanTue, September 15, 2026 at 10:45 AM UTCAdd us on GoogleAutoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Teething ProblemsTesla's Autopilot system changed the game in semi- and full-autonomous driving technology. It's regarded as the most comprehensive and was one of the first to bring the technology to the mass market. As good as the first crop of Autopilot features were, just like any other new tech, teething problems soon surfaced.Unfortunately for Tesla, they advertised Autopilot so well that some road users relied on the system too much. Many tragic fatalities have been linked to Autopilot over the years, and while systems in today's cars are much more reliable, some older models are still on the road. These older models, still equipped with early-generation Autopilot, are still being linked to road fatalities.Sebastian BlancoAnother Autopilot Death?Car Complaints reports that a new lawsuit has been filed against Tesla that once again blames Autopilot for the death of a motorist. The wrongful death lawsuit involves the death of a Tesla owner from South Carolina, William Alan Hensley, aged 34. His wife is the one who filed the suit, seeking to hold the automaker accountable for the death of her husband.AdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to the lawsuit, Hensley was driving a 2016 Tesla Model X when it crashed at about 6:30 a.m. on October 12, 2023. At the time, he was passing through Twelve Bridges Road in Sumter, South Carolina, where a light mist was present. According to the suit, the car drove through a curve while still going straight and maintaining the same speed, causing it to veer off the road and strike multiple trees before flipping over and combusting.The suit also says that at the time of the accident, Mr. Hensley was wearing his seatbelt, but was killed when the Model X overturned and ejected him, leading to the cause of death being listed as blunt force trauma. The plaintiff says that the accident and death were caused by Tesla's Autopilot system, alleging that it failed to "detect the bend in the road and failed to adjust its speed or direction."Sebastian BlancoContradictionWhile the suit has already been filed, it also admits that the 2016 Tesla Model X Autopilot is a Level 2 Autonomous vehicle that still requires the driver to remain responsible while on the road and can't be driven as a fully autonomous vehicle.Despite this admission, the suit further claims Tesla "misled" owners and drivers into believing they could "turn their thoughts and eyes elsewhere." It'll be interesting to see whether this suit holds up with that admission firmly in place.Sebastian BlancoThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Sep 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.