Self Driving Car Accident Lawyers in Chicago
Who is Liable in a Self-driving Car Accident in the State of Illinois?
Illinois has recently changed its laws to allow for the testing of self-driving vehicles on the state’s roadways. A number of states have permitted the testing of driverless technology created by companies such as Tesla and Audi going back as far as 2015.
Driverless cars might be in wide use on our roads within the next 20 years.
The companies that manufacture these vehicles present them as a safer alternative to human drivers. Unfortunately, a fatal pedestrian incident that took place in Arizona indicates that technologyis far from perfect and that accidents involving these vehicles are going to happen.
If a driverless car does cause a crash, the situation presents new issues of liability.
Driverless vehicles are capable of traveling on roadways without much input from a human, or without any human input at all. The ability of the software and hardware to operate a vehicle in traffic means that there will be no human errors. This is heralded as a way to greatly improve road safety as the vast majority of crashes are the result of simple human mistakes.
Autonomous Driving Vehicle Accident Lawsuits, Settlements and Claims
If a driverless car is involved in a crash, there is a question as to who is responsible for the damages. The answer is not entirely clear as all cases have so far been settled out of court. However, there are certain factors that will determine who is at fault. First, a person can be in control of a car that has driverless capabilities. If the person caused the crash and the autonomous driver mode was not in use, then the case would be similar to other personal injury matters. If the car caused the crash, the question would be a matter of what sort of defect led to the accident. The manufacturer may be liable for the harm done.
Injured? Call Stein Shulman, LLC For Your Instant Case Analysis
Stein & Shulman, LLC has over 45 years of combined accident injury law practice in Chicago, Illinois. You can receive a free and instant case review by calling our office at 312.422.0500.
Stein & Shulman, LLC
134 N LaSalle St, #820
Chicago, IL 60602
312.422.0500
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