Who Is Liable for Accidents Involving Self-Driving Cars?
Technology is growing at a rapid rate. The future is already upon us, and transportation as we know it will soon change. The usage of self-driving cars is already gaining heat as Uber, Google, and Tesla race to cover the market with their new designs and their new versions of “smart cars�. However, there have been accidents involving self-driving cars, and there will be so much more in the future. When such an accident happens, the main question is: who is the one to be held responsible? Listed below are those who can be held responsible after an accident involving or caused by a self-driving car.
The Manufacturer The first one to be held responsible is the vehicle manufacturing company. If you were in a car accident caused by a self-driving car manufactured by Tesla, you may be eligible to sue the company for product liability. This involves: ❖
Malfunctioning Parts
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Bad or Corrupted Software
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Faulty Components and Systems
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Malfunctioning Sensors
System Failure
A Glitch in the System
In order to determine whether or not you are eligible to ďŹ le a product liability claim against the vehicle or parts manufacturer, speak with one of Car Accident Attorneys in San Francisco today; schedule your initial free consultation and learn everything about product liability claim.
The Driver If the vehicle has the “autopilot” mode and the driver of the vehicle switches is “ON” which leads to the accident, that driver could be held responsible for not reacting on time. Every smart vehicle owner takes responsibility for all the accidents caused by his/her self-driving vehicle. Whether the accident happened on the road or while the car was auto-parking, any damages done to other party’s property or to pedestrians will have to be covered from the car owner’s pockets or his/her insurance company.
Even though this technology is not yet perfected, drivers play a very important role when sitting behind the wheel of a self-driving car. They can at any point take control and prevent a potential accident from happening. Another reason why the vehicle owner could be liable for the accident is that the owner failed to update the car’s software. Most technology running on software gets updated constantly, and smart cars are no different. If their software is not updated to the latest, they may malfunction and lead to a tragic event.
Just because you put your car to “autopilot” mode, doesn’t mean that it will take you home safely. At least not yet. Perhaps in the near future? Autonomous vehicles are the future. They are (and will be) equipped with many different (types of) sensors. These sensors will track and monitor everything in the vehicle, outside the vehicle and determine the vehicle's navigation, speed, and obstacles. However, nothing can replace the human instinct.
Contact An Attorney
Contact Car Accident Attorneys in San Francisco if you were involved in a car accident, and let them help you determine your case’s full worth, as well as represent you in the best possible way. With their help, the compensation that you deserve is around the corner.
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