Lead counsel in Benavides v. Tesla
The first wrongful death case against Tesla to go to trial, resulting in a $243 million verdict
20+
Top National Awards
Lead counsel in Benavides v. Tesla
The first wrongful death case against Tesla to go to trial,
resulting in a $243 million verdict.
15+
years in trial
20+
Top National Awards
Fighting for People Who Need It Most.
Brett Schreiber is a nationally recognized trial attorney and co-founder of Singleton Schreiber. In 2025, he served as lead counsel in Benavides v. Tesla — the first wrongful death case against Tesla to go to trial — resulting in a landmark $243 million jury verdict.
A perennial Super Lawyer and multiple-time Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year,” Brett has spent his career earning firsts — in the courtroom and in the broader fight for justice.
$243M
Federal Jury Verdict in Miami, Florida on August 1, 2025
The First Wrongful Death Trial Against Tesla.
A Landmark for Autonomous Vehicle Accountability.
What Brett Fights For.
Verdicts & Settlements That Changed Lives.
for Real People
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Case results depend upon a variety of factors unique to each case.
Your Questions. Straight Answers.
Brett Schreiber is a nationally recognized trial attorney and Co-Founding Partner of Singleton Schreiber, one of the country's leading plaintiffs' law firms. He leads the firm's Personal Injury and Wrongful Death practice, representing individuals and families against corporations, government entities, and institutions responsible for serious harm. He is admitted to practice in California, Hawaii, and before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Brett handles serious personal injury and wrongful death cases involving defective products, dangerous roadways, corporate misconduct, medical malpractice, class actions, civil rights violations, consumer protection, and wildfire and flood litigation. He is particularly recognized for complex, high-stakes cases against large corporations and government defendants — including landmark litigation against Tesla over its Autopilot system.
Brett works on a contingency fee basis — meaning there are no upfront costs and no fees unless he wins your case. You can request a free case evaluation at any time by calling (619) 393-3881 or submitting a request online.
You can reach Brett's office by phone at (619) 393-3881, by email at bschreiber@singletonschreiber.com, or by submitting a case evaluation request.
Brett is guided by the Hebrew principle of tikkun olam — "to heal the world." He believes meaningful justice requires both courtroom advocacy and political engagement, and he routinely works with elected officials at the local, state, and national level to protect access to justice.
In August 2025, a Miami federal jury awarded $243 million to the families of Naibel Benavides Leon, who was killed, and Dillon Angulo, who was gravely injured, in a 2019 crash involving a Tesla operating on Autopilot. Brett Schreiber served as lead trial counsel in Benavides v. Tesla. It was the first wrongful death case against Tesla to proceed to trial and is widely reported as one of the largest individual-plaintiff verdicts in American civil justice history. In February 2026, a federal judge upheld the verdict in full, rejecting Tesla's efforts to overturn or reduce it.
The jury found that Tesla designed Autopilot exclusively for controlled-access highways but deliberately chose not to restrict drivers from using it on other roads. That design and marketing decision created a false sense of safety that directly contributed to the fatal collision. The case also involved a 2023 federal recall related to Tesla's driver-monitoring system.
Yes — Brett Schreiber's office is actively pursuing Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving litigation. The Benavides v. Tesla verdict established that Tesla can be held liable for designing a system marketed as safe for conditions it was not built to handle. If you or a family member were injured or killed in a crash involving Tesla's driver-assistance technology, contact Brett's office for a free case evaluation.
Brett has secured numerous multi-million-dollar results, including:
- $243 Million — Federal jury verdict against Tesla, Autopilot wrongful death (2025)
- $30 Million — Settlement, medical malpractice / unnecessary joint replacement surgeries
- $23.5 Million — Jury verdict, dangerous public property — Top 100 civil verdicts in America
- $16.4 Million — Jury verdict, dangerous roadway, State Route 79
- $14.5 Million — Settlement, construction gas explosion, downtown San Diego
- $5.6 Million — Jury verdict, dangerous roadway, head-on collision
- $3 Million — Settlement, medical malpractice, Kaiser Permanente nerve injury
Yes. Brett has successfully litigated against the State of California and Caltrans in multiple cases involving dangerous road conditions. His $23.5 million verdict and $16.4 million verdict both arose from the state's failure to maintain safe public infrastructure — and both rank among the top verdicts in California history.
Brett has been recognized consistently for over 15 years. Highlights include:
- 2026 California Legal Awards — Attorney of the Year Finalist
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers (2025 & 2026)
- Best Lawyers in America — Lawyer of the Year (multiple years, 2019–2024)
- Consumer Attorneys of San Diego — Trial Lawyer of the Year (2021)
- Super Lawyer — every year since 2017
- National Trial Lawyers — Top 40 Under 40
- Top 100 Verdicts in America & California (multiple years)