Self-driving cars are here to stay, and the expectation is that these autonomous cars will become more and more common on all U.S. roads in the near future. The topic of self-driving cars is a controversial one with many singing the praises of these cars while others are not so sure. Since 2014, there have been at least 54 accidents involving self-driving cars reported.
Most of the 54 accidents reported were considered minor accidents and all ascribed to human driver error. A recent case filed in a Californian court may be one of the first against autonomous cars alleging negligence by the car. There is little doubt that it will be the last.
In his claim against General Motors, the motorcyclist states that the self-driving car swerved into his lane, crashing into his bike. The accident left the biker unable to work due to the injuries suffered. Police reports paint a different picture and blame the accident on the biker, while witnesses state that the biker did not wait for it to be safe before overtaking the other vehicle.
Californian civil law allows for damages to be awarded to seriously injured victims of motorcycle accidents, should it be proven that the negligent actions of another was the root cause of the accident. In principle, this could imply that if the California court finds that the self-driving car was negligent, the driver or manufacturer may be held responsible for the damages suffered by the biker. The outcome of this case may encourage other victims to consult with a personal injury lawyer for an evaluation of their individual cases.
Source: fastcompany.com, "Can a self-driving car be negligent? A motorcyclist allegedly injured", Accessed on Jan. 29, 2018
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