The insurance policy that covers the vehicle is always responsible for a car accident regardless of who is behind the wheel. Today, the situation is complicated by “autonomous” vehicles. These cars supposedly can drive on their own, but this is more complicated than it sounds.
While Tesla does call the vehicles “autonomous” and is facing lawsuits over the use of that term, it also includes explicit instructions never to take your attention off the road. The car is called “autonomous,” but in reality, if they follow the rules, Tesla drivers are buying is a very advanced auto assist program that provides a second set of eyes. The vehicles are not cleared to operate on American highways without a human driver paying attention. It is therefore a fact that you (the driver) are responsible for any accident caused by your autonomous vehicle.
Manslaughter Charges for Autonomous Drivers
Drivers who blame their autonomous vehicles for causing car accidents will have a serious problem. Some drivers have been caught riding in the back seat while their autonomous vehicles were doing their driving for them. Others have caused fatal accidents while taking their attention from the road. They erroneously believe that they can blame Tesla’s AI for the accident.
States are charging these individuals with manslaughter for allowing the autopilot to be driving for them. The autopilot is not quite ready yet. There are still some things it cannot do. If the car’s human drivers are not paying attention to the road and their autopilot causes a fatal accident, they may be charged with manslaughter.
Lawsuits Against Tesla
Tesla is facing product liability lawsuits related to its autonomous driving system. However, these lawsuits are filed under the theory that Tesla misled drivers about the capacity of its autonomous driving. In other words, because Tesla told customers that it was purchasing “an autopilot” as opposed to an “advanced driver assist,” drivers had the notion that the vehicle could drive itself. That remains untrue.
So, if you are in an accident with a driver who claims that the driver assist was responsible for the crash, you should still file the claim on the driver’s insurance policy. As always, if you are seriously injured, you should retain the counsel of a Las Vegas auto accident attorney today. Call H&P Law and we can discuss your auto accident in more detail.
