Self-Driving Car Accident Injuries

You may know that when you’ve been injured in a car accident, the driver responsible for the accident is typically responsible for damages. As driver-assist and fully autonomous vehicles advance, you may be wondering who is liable for a motor vehicle crash when there is no driver in the traditional sense. 

If you’ve been hurt in a collision with a self-driving car, the answer to that question could determine whether and how you receive fair compensation for your injuries. So, you’ll want to talk to an experienced local car accident lawyer right away. You can schedule a free consultation with attorney Kevin P. Broderick by calling 978-459-3085 or filling out our contact form.

Identifying Responsible Parties after a Self-Driving Car Accident

Your car accident attorney can help determine possible responsible parties after a self-driving car accident. Some of the most common possibilities include:

The Human Driver

Though we are starting to see unmanned self-driving cars on the road–a few cities are even experimenting with fully autonomous taxis–most cars we think of as self-driving still have a human in the driver’s seat. If that human is negligent and that negligence causes or contributes to the crash, they may be responsible despite the car’s capabilities. 

Many cars with autonomous capabilities still come with warnings that the driver can’t rely on the car’s “decisions” and urge remaining vigilant and prepared to act. Some such vehicles offer warnings in particular circumstances, but don’t act on their own. This was tragically illustrated in a 2019 crash in which the driver of a Tesla Model S with Autopilot mistakenly believed that his vehicle would brake if it encountered a red light. 

The driver was found partly liable for the death of a pedestrian and serious injuries to another. But, that liability was shared. 

The Self-Driving Car Manufacturer

In the case described above, ⅓ of the blame was allocated to Tesla. In part, that was because the jury found that Tesla and Elon Musk exaggerated the capabilities of the vehicle, creating the impression that the vehicle would do more than it really did. 

In general, a vehicle manufacturer could be found responsible if the vehicle was defective or didn’t function as intended, or if the company failed to provide adequate information and warnings to enable safe use of the vehicles. 

The Usual Suspects

Like any other car accident, a self-driving car crash can be caused or partially caused by someone who wasn’t even involved in the accident. Some possible examples include: 

• The driver of a third vehicle who cut off one of the cars or took some negligent action that required one vehicle to swerve, brake, or otherwise take evasive action that caused or contributed to the accident
• The driver of another vehicle that left debris in the road, creating a hazard that impacted one or both vehicles
• The entity responsible for keeping the road free of debris and other hazards, if they failed to do so and the hazard caused or contributed to the crash
• The entity responsible for a road design defect, improper signage, or other design issues that may have caused or contributed to the collision.

Get the Help You Need after a Self-Driving Car Accident

You should speak to an experienced local car accident lawyer as soon as possible after a self-driving car accident because: 

• The type of evidence that must be gathered after an accident involving an autonomous vehicle may be different, and your attorney may have limited time to obtain it
• The availability of even routine types of evidence may be at risk as time passes–for instance, street camera footage may be deleted, witnesses may become difficult to locate or forget the details of the crash
• Insurance companies don’t always play fair, and having an experienced lawyer on your side from the beginning can protect you from their shady tactics 

If you’ve been injured in an accident involving a self-driving car or lost a loved one in any type of motor vehicle accident, you can schedule a free consultation right now. Just call 978-459-3085 or fill out the quick contact form on this site.