Self-driving Car Accidents: Who’s to Blame?

Self-driving Car Accidents: Who’s to Blame?

In many areas, technology has surpassed what humans can do. We see more and more self-driving cars on the roads these days. If an accident happens with a human being behind the wheel, it’s easier to determine whether the accident was due to reckless driving, or whatever other reason, and the liability almost always lies with the person who drove the car.

But what about self-driving cars? There was no-one behind the wheel…so who do you sue? Is this now a product liability case? How do you prove negligence? A host of things could have gone awry. The programming could have been faulty, the cameras could have malfunctioned. The software sensors could have been damaged in some way. There will have to be big investigations into what exactly went wrong, and more importantly – who was at fault. Did the owner take proper care of the car according to the manufacturer’s instructions? If not, there may be a case of negligence. The other alternative is that the manufacturer is at fault, in which case the case can escalate into a massive product liability case.

Self-driving cars may be paving the way to a future with fewer road accidents, but as with any electronic device, self-driving cars can also malfunction. The question is: what happens then? At the moment it would seem that accidents between self-driving cars or involving self-driving cars create a free-for-all arena for lawsuits. The paradigm of road accident claims will have to shift completely.

Self-driving car or no, if you’re in a car accident and would like to file a case claiming personal injury expenses such as medical bills, loss of wages and personal suffering, you can contact one of Linden Law’s expert personal injury lawyers for a free consultation at (212) 804-8440. Whether it’s an old-fashioned car accident or a futuristic self-driving fiasco, we’ll help evaluate your case.