Tesla Gets Battery Defect Claim Cut From Upcoming Crash Trial

Tesla Inc. will no longer face battery defect claims at an upcoming trial over a teen’s death in a fiery high-speed crash after persuading a federal court in Florida to reverse course on allowing the issues to go to a jury.

An engineering expert’s testimony that a fire “would probably not happen” if the car’s battery had a certain fire-protective material was insufficient to show causation, the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida said Wednesday.

The trial is scheduled for July 7 and marks the first time Tesla will face a jury in litigation over a car ...