An advertisement promotes Tesla Autopilot at a showroom of U.S. car manufacturer Tesla in Zurich, Switzerland March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Tesla Inc FollowNov 21 (Reuters) - A Florida judge found "reasonable evidence" that Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk and other managers knew the automaker's vehicles had a defective Autopilot system but still allowed the cars to be driven unsafely, according to a ruling. The ruling is a setback for Tesla after the company won two product liability trials in California earlier this year over the Autopilot driver assistant system. Banner's attorney, Lake "Trey" Lytal III, said they are "extremely proud of this result based in the evidence of punitive conduct." The judge also cited a 2016 video showing a Tesla vehicle driving without human intervention as a way to market Autopilot.

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Persons: Arnd, Elon Musk, Judge Reid Scott, Tesla, Stephen Banner's, Banner, Bryant Walker Smith, Smith, Scott, Banner's, Joshua Brown, Trey, Lytal, Dan Levine, Richard Chang, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Tesla, Palm, University of South, Thomson Locations: U.S, Zurich, Switzerland, Florida, Palm Beach County, California, Miami, University of South Carolina