Since the death of Elaine Herzberg, the first pedestrian killed by a self-driving car, there have been over 400 crashes involving vehicles with the partially autonomous driver assistance system as per the new report from US car-safety regulator. Undoubtedly, technology has left us amazed with its continuous advancements but sadly it has its demerits. One such advancement is self-driving cars. Collins or fatalities are occurring at an alarming rate. More cases related to self-driving cars led to the self-driving car accident lawsuit in 2022.
The article tries to state everything you must know about the lawsuit against self-driving car accidents. The article will help you to understand the legal nuances before filing any self-driving car accident lawsuit.
Who is responsible for an accident with a self-driving car?
There are several factors that decide the fault in an accident that involves a driverless vehicle. It commonly involves one of the following:
- The operator behind the wheel of a partially autonomous vehicle.
- The human driver of a regular car.
- The manufacturers, producers, or the designers of the self-driving vehicle.
However, according to the self-driving car accident attorney, fault in a car accident can fall on multiple parties. For instance, if more than one person or a group is responsible for causing an accident, a jury can decide what percentage of fault each party has.
Kindly note that in most cases, a self-driving car accident is generally caused due to negligence. It becomes a duty of the drivers to keep a lookout for other vehicles and pedestrians.
The failure to use adequate care while driving such vehicles which further causes an accident is negligence. The plaintiff must prove the following before filing a self-driving car accident lawsuit.
- When the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care.
- When the defendant breaches the duty of care via negligence.
- Harm or death is caused by the defendant’s negligence.
In the case the jury finds the defendant to be negligent, then the defendant may be liable to pay for the damages or injuries to the plaintiff.
What type of compensation can I receive?
In such types of lawsuits, the injury victim files a claim for damages. Both economic and non-economic compensation. The sole purpose behind such compensation is to take back the victim to the original position they would have been in if the accident had never happened. The type of damages in a car accident involving a self-driving car includes-
- Costs incurred in legal formalities.
- Damage to vehicle.
- Impact and loss of future earnings.
- Loss of a limb.
- Medical treatment.
- Mental pain or suffering.
- Physical therapy.
In some of the cases of self-driving car accident lawsuits, punitive damages are also available which are also known as exemplary damages. Such damages are available in cases where the defendant is engaged in especially bad behavior.
Can the family file a lawsuit in an accident?
If someone gets killed in an accident involving a self-driving car, the victim has no other option but to hold the parties accountable for the actions. The family members can file a lawsuit with a self-driving car accident attorney to ensure that the responsible individuals must have the answer to their questions. Following family members can file a self-driving car accident lawsuit and claim the damages:
- Spouses.
- Partners.
- Children.
- Grandchildren, if children are deceased.
- Anybody else who is entitled to the property of the deceased under the Florida laws.
Damages in the wrongful death lawsuit must compensate the family for the losses caused due to the death of the loved one which includes-
- Burial costs.
- Funeral costs.
- Loss of financial support.
- Loss of support, affection, and companionship.
How to prove who was responsible for the accident?
Each party involved in the accident must have different stories about what happened at the place of the accident. Self-driving accidents are quite complicated because it could be unclear if the driverless vehicle system was responsible for the accident. The self-driving car accident claim requires investigation by the insurance company and the lawyers of both parties. During self-driving car accidents, the investigation requires the experts to review the accident evidence and complete data about what exactly happened at the place of the accident. Remember, your self-driving car accident attorney will investigate the case and have the expert engineers check the case. Such an expert provides expert opinion about the cause and other details of the accident.
Rules of self-driving cars
Drivers may find it difficult to determine who is responsible for an accident and what procedures must be followed for the sufferer to recover given all the different levels of automated driving. In the case of a self-driving car accident lawsuit, the specifics of each case’s facts will determine the responses. The person operating the automated vehicle can try to shift blame for the collision by claiming that since the manufacturer of the vehicle designed the automated system, they should be held accountable for the victim’s injuries. Although the case for the manufacturer’s liability may change in the future to include tech behemoths like Tesla and Google in the cost of accidents brought on by their vehicles, the more persuasive case has been made that the human driver of the vehicle was at fault.
A self-driving car accident attorney can help you
Attorneys understand the impact of an accident on somebody’s life. Events with your family and time spent with friends could be missed. An expert auto accident lawyer may be needed as soon as feasible to recover all your losses and injuries.
Self-driving car accident lawsuits can get a little complex to handle and manage the legal formalities. To keep a higher chance of winning, you need the services of professional and expert attorney services. Just sit back and relax because the best and most professional attorney services are not far away from you.
Contact the Reyes Firm today
If you get long-term or permanent injuries, your employment prospects will be diminished for the rest of your life. As a result, you won’t be able to receive your income. To recover maximum compensation from your self-driving car accident, contacting the best self-driving car accident lawyer in Florida is your best decision. The Reyes Firm will help you get access to the top lawyers to get the compensation you deserve. We will work with doctors and life care planners to help your case reflect the true cost of your serious injuries. Call us at (833)422-3329 to know more about your self-driving car accident lawsuit today. We are ready to put our extensive experience to work for your rights.