Benavides v. Tesla, Inc

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedJune 30, 2025
Docket1:21-cv-21940
StatusUnknown

This text of Benavides v. Tesla, Inc (Benavides v. Tesla, Inc) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Benavides v. Tesla, Inc, (S.D. Fla. 2025).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

Case No. 21-cv-21940-BLOOM/Torres

NEIMA BENAVIDES, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Naibel Benavides Leon, deceased, and DILLON ANGULO

Plaintiffs,

v.

TESLA, INC., a/k/a. Tesla Florida, Inc.,

Defendant. _________________________________/

OMNIBUS ORDER ON PARTIES’ MOTIONS IN LIMINE

THIS CAUSE is before the Court upon Plaintiffs’ Omnibus Motion in Limine, ECF No. [329]. Tesla filed a Response, ECF No. [359], to which Plaintiffs filed a Reply, ECF No. [386]. Plaintiff Angulo separately filed a Motion to Limit and Exclude Certain Opinions of Tesla’s Neuropsychologist, Dr. Barry Crown, ECF No. [344]. Tesla filed a Response, ECF No. [383], and Plaintiff Angulo filed a Reply, ECF No. [403]. Also before the Court is Tesla’s Motion in Limine, ECF No. [320], to which Plaintiffs filed a Response in Opposition, ECF No. [348], and Tesla filed a Reply, ECF No. [376]. The Court has reviewed the Motions, the supporting and opposing submissions, the record, and is otherwise fully advised. For the reasons that follow, Plaintiffs’ Omnibus Motion in Limine is granted in part and denied in part, Plaintiff Angulo’s Motion to Limit or Exclude Opinions of Dr. Barry Crown is granted in part and denied in part, and Tesla’s Motion in Limine is granted in part and denied in part. I. BACKGROUND This matter arises from a collision that occurred in Key Largo, Florida. George McGee owned a 2019 Tesla Model S (“Vehicle”) “equipped with automatic driving features, one of which Tesla termed ‘Autopilot,’ that could navigate without driver input.” ECF No. [205] at 3. On April 25, 2019, McGee was driving the Vehicle when it hit a parked Chevrolet Tahoe, which then struck

Decedent Naibel Benavides Leon and Plaintiff Dillon Angulo, killing Benavides Leon and causing significant injuries to Angulo. See id. at 3-4. On April 22, 2021, Plaintiff Neima Benavides, as Personal Representative, brought this action against Tesla on behalf of the Estate of Decedent Naibel Benavides Leon in the Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County, Florida, alleging automotive product liability claims against Tesla. ECF No. [1-1]. Tesla removed the action to this Court on May 25, 2021. ECF No. [1]. On August 16, 2022, Plaintiff Dillon Angulo initiated a similar automotive products liability action against Tesla in this district, Case No. 22-cv-22607-KMM. See 22-cv-22607, ECF No. [1]. The Court accepted the transfer of this case and consolidated both actions due to the overlapping issues presented. ECF No. [50].

Plaintiffs filed a consolidated Amended Complaint on March 11, 2024, asserting the following claims against Tesla: Strict-Products-Liability—Defective Design (Count I), Failure to Warn (Count II), Defective Manufacture (Count III), and Negligent Misrepresentation (Count IV). See ECF No. [205] at 6, ¶¶ 39-46. On June 25, 2025, the Court granted summary judgment in favor of Tesla as to Count III (Defective Manufacture) and Count IV (Negligent Misrepresentation) while allowing Count I (Defective Design) and Count II (Failure to Warn) to proceed to trial. ECF No. [428]. The Parties are scheduled to begin trial on July 14, 2025. ECF No. [354]. In anticipation of the upcoming trial, the Parties have submitted their respective Motions in Limine. See ECF No. [329]; ECF No. [320]. Additionally, Plaintiff Angulo has filed his own Motion to Limit or Exclude Certain Opinions of Tesla’s Expert, Dr. Barry Crown. ECF No. [344]. II. LEGAL STANDARD A. Motions in Limine “In fairness to the parties and their ability to put on their case, a court should exclude evidence in limine only when it is clearly inadmissible on all potential grounds.” United States v.

Gonzalez, 718 F. Supp. 2d 1341, 1345 (S.D. Fla. 2010). “The movant has the burden of demonstrating that the evidence is inadmissible on any relevant ground.” Id. “Unless evidence meets this high standard, evidentiary rulings should be deferred until trial so that questions of foundation, relevancy, and potential prejudice may be resolved in proper context.” In re Seroquel Prods. Liab. Litig., Nos. 6:06-md-1769-Orl-22DAB, 6:07-cv-15733-Orl-22DAB, 2009 WL 260989, at *1 (M.D. Fla. Feb. 4, 2009). Likewise, “[i]n light of the preliminary or preemptive nature of motions in limine, ‘any party may seek reconsideration at trial in light of the evidence actually presented and shall make contemporaneous objections when evidence is elicited.’” Holder v. Anderson, No. 3:16-CV-1307-J-39JBT, 2018 WL 4956757, at *1 (M.D. Fla. May 30, 2018)

(quoting Miller ex rel. Miller v. Ford Motor Co., No. 2:01CV545FTM-29DNF, 2004 WL 4054843, at *1 (M.D. Fla. July 22, 2004)); see In re Seroquel., 2009 WL 260989, at *1 (“The court will entertain objections on individual proffers as they arise at trial, even though the proffer falls within the scope of a denied motion in limine.”) (citing United States v. Connelly, 874 F.2d 412, 416 (7th Cir. 1989)). Evidence is admissible if relevant, and evidence is relevant if it has any tendency to prove or disprove a fact of consequence. Fed. R. Evid. 401, 402; Advisory Comm. Notes, Fed. R. Evid. 401 (“The standard of probability under the rule is ‘more probable than it would be without the evidence.’”); United States v. Patrick, 513 F. App’x 882, 886 (11th Cir. 2013). A district court may exclude relevant evidence under Rule 403 if “its probative value is substantially outweighed by a danger of . . . unfair prejudice, confusing the issues, misleading the jury, undue delay, wasting of time, or needlessly presenting cumulative evidence.” Fed. R. Evid. 403. “Rule 403 is an extraordinary remedy which the district court should invoke sparingly, and the balance should be

struck in favor of admissibility.” Patrick, 513 F. App’x at 886 (citing United States v. Lopez, 649 F.3d 1222, 1247 (11th Cir. 2011)); see United States v. Alfaro-Moncada, 607 F.3d 720, 734 (11th Cir. 2010). Rule 403’s “major function . . . is limited to excluding matter of scant or cumulative probative force, dragged in by the heels for the sake of its prejudicial effect[.]” United States v. Grant, 256 F.3d 1146, 1155 (11th Cir. 2001) (quoting United States v. Cross, 928 F.2d 1030, 1048 (11th Cir. 1991)). III. DISCUSSION A. Plaintiffs’ Omnibus Motion in Limine Plaintiffs seek to exclude any evidence, testimony, or arguments on the following twenty- two issues at trial. i. Preclude Evidence or Testimony Regarding Plaintiffs’ Decision Not to Call Certain Witnesses or Introduce Certain Available Evidence Plaintiffs seek to preclude Tesla from “[a]rguing or suggesting that the jury should draw an adverse inference from Plaintiff[s’] decision not to call witnesses or introduce evidence at trial available to both parties.” ECF No. [329] at 1. The Parties have stipulated not to present any evidence or make any arguments regarding this issue. As such, the Motion is moot. See ECF No. [360-1].

ii. Exclude Evidence or Testimony that Plaintiffs’ Medical Bills Were Paid by a Collateral Source Plaintiffs request the Court to preclude Tesla from introducing any evidence of or making any reference to the fact that Plaintiffs’ medical bills “were paid by insurance or some other collateral source.” ECF No. [329] at 2.

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