Another Self-Driving Vehicle Is Involved in a Crash

Buzzfeed reported in May 2018, that another self-driving vehicle has caused a collision in Arizona. The crash follows a fatal accident involving an autonomous Uber vehicle in Arizona. As a result of the Uber wreck, Arizona’s governor halted Uber’s right to test self-driving cars on public roads.

The Buzzfeed story involved a Waymo self-driving vehicle. Waymo is owned by Alphabet Inc., which also owns Internet giant Google. The Waymo vehicle struck another vehicle in Chandler, Arizona. (Fortunately, this time the injuries were minimal.) According to Chandler police, the accident occurred when a car swerved to avoid a crash with another vehicle. The swerving car then struck the Waymo vehicle. Police are working to determine if either of the traditional driver-operated vehicles broke any traffic laws such as running a red light. The Waymo vehicle did have a human operator, but the report did not indicate if the Waymo vehicle was being driven by software or by the human operator at the time of the crash.

Liability when self-driving cars are involved

Autonomous vehicles, and the laws governing them, are still new. Every crash and every injury test the liability laws that are on the books, and point out shortcomings in state and federal legislation. If a self-driving car causes an accident, then the following people and companies may be liable:

• A human operator. If the vehicle had a human operator, then he/she might be liable if there was time to realize the danger and take over control from the software that is controlling the car.
• The manufacturer of the vehicle. The companies that make the self-driving vehicles have a duty to the public to protect public safety. A product liability case can be filed against the manufacturer if the vehicle was defective or if it malfunctioned.
• The manufacturer of the software. If the software developed for the vehicle was flawed from the start, then the tech companies themselves – Uber, Google, Tesla, etc. – could be held liable for the victim’s injuries.
• The sellers of the car. Any company who sells an autonomous vehicle can also be held strictly liable for the vehicle’s defects provided the defects cause the physical harm.

The law on self-driving vehicle liability is evolving. As more autonomous vehicles are introduced onto the highways, it is inevitable that accidents will occur. Many self-driving vehicle companies argue that autonomous vehicles are often safer than traditional vehicles because drunk and distracted drivers don’t operate them. While that may be true, accidents can happen for a variety of reasons. Software is never perfect. That’s why there are versions 2.0 and 10.0 of most software products.

If you are struck by a self-driving vehicle or you are injured while a passenger in a self-driving vehicle, you need to understand your rights. The Memphis auto accident lawyers at Bailey & Greer, PLLC are ready to explain if you have a valid claim and who is responsible. For help now, please call us at 901-680-9777 or fill out our contact form. We see clients in Memphis, Jackson, West Tennessee, and the nearby areas.