Liability Issues Create Obstacles for Driverless Cars

There is a lot of excitement about the technology being developed that may soon put driverless cars on our roadways. However, lawmakers in different states who are looking at legalizing these cars, are running into an important issue: Who would be held liable if a driverless car gets into a traffic accident? According to a news report in The Wall Street Journal, when there is no driver, the answer to that question can become complicated. Who would be held liable? The company that designed the technology for the vehicle, the car’s owner, a passenger or the automaker that built the car?
Fully driverless cars that can drive you from one place to another with the push of a button are still years away. However, automakers and technology companies including Google have been testing the technology for years. They say driverless cars can lead to safer, faster and less-polluted roads. Last year, Governor Jerry Brown signed California’s law on driverless cars. Arizona is still considering it. So far, in addition to California, Nevada and Florida have passed laws on driverless cars.
A Number of Issues to be Ironed Out
Meanwhile several automakers were talking about it at the recent Detroit auto show. Nissan Motor Co. officials said driverless cars will be in showrooms around 2020. Audi AG and Toyota also exhibited some of their driverless cars during a Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. California has directed its Department of Motor Vehicles to come up with rules for these cars by 2015. Nevada requires driverless cars to go through 10,000 hours of testing on closed tracks. The tester must put up a bond of at least $1 million to cover any potential liability. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has started studying these vehicles, but has not issued any rules so far.
Compensation for Accident Victims
If you or a loved one has been injured or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys with the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our skilled car accident attorneys have more than 41 years of experience and a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Please contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: The Wall Street Journal