Every car manufacturer now is looking to develop cars that have self-driving capabilities but the fact remains that the self-driving cars today are far from perfect. While these cars have been widely publicized as ‘self-driving’, they still do require an attentive driver at all times behind the wheel. The question might come to your mind that, in a situation where a self- driving car has been in an accident, who is liable for the injuries of the victim?
Let us answer this question with reliable information from a car accident attorney in New York in this blog.
There are many autonomous vehicles out there on the street and like any other vehicle that is not self driven, these autonomous vehicles also get involved in accidents. For a car which has no driver, who is to blame if someone is injured? So, well – the parties that could be typically liable for such accidents include:-
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- The Person Sitting on the Driver Seat
The fact that a self-driven car can be involved in the accident proves that you can’t fully trust the vehicle to sense and react to sudden and unexpected dangers on the road. In such an accident also the negligence of the driver can still be a potential factor. The driver can be held liable for placing too much reliance on the autonomous capabilities of the vehicle and taking risks like sleeping behind the wheel, watching a movie, etc.
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- The Manufacturer of the Vehicle
While in most cases the owner of the vehicle/driver is held responsible due to negligence but at times with the help of a good car accident attorney the manufacturer could be held liable for the injuries or death of the victim which resulted from vehicle defects. In this situation you will need to prove the defect in the vehicle and that the defect was responsible for the accident. If the accident was caused due to the negligence of the driver as well as a defect in the vehicle then both the driver and the manufacturer may have to share the legal responsibility for the collision.
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- Manufacturer of the Defective Part of the Vehicle
A vehicle is made when different components come together and mostly each component is manufactured by different companies. If you have been in an accident that utilizes technology from a third-party software company or a car hardware supplier, then you may hold the company that made the faulty part responsible for the crash along with a claim against the vehicle manufacturer.
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- A Third Party Like Road Construction Contractor or Vehicle Repair Shop
Poor road conditions can also be a cause of the crash, which makes the contractor of that road construction responsible for the accident.
Any other third party such as a negligent vehicle repair shop owner could contribute to the car accident as well. Whether you got the repairs done from an independent repair shop or the authorized dealer, if the negligent repair is the cause of the mishap, then you deserve full compensation for your accident-related losses.
Who is to be held responsible for an autonomous vehicle crash can be a tricky thing to deal with. There could be several factors that could have led to the accident, hence if at all you have been involved in such a situation then all you need to do is, get in touch with an experienced lawyer who can study the whole case properly and help you get the compensation you deserve,
Siler & Ingber have a group of brilliant car accident attorneys in New York who are not only skilled but have years of experience in this field. With Siler & Ingber team, you are surely in good hands.
Contact the team today for a free evaluation of your case.