Self-driving cars are slowly but surely making their presence known in the car market. As a consumer, you may be unsure about how this new technology works and whether the safety features outweigh the risks. Or, as a driver, you may have been involved in an accident with a self-driving car, and you may be unsure about how to assign fault. Follow along to find out how a self-driving car accident might occur and how a proficient Pike County, KY car accident lawyer at Shane Hall Attorney At Law, PLLC can work on your behalf.
What is a self-driving car?
You may not realize just how much driver-assistance technology your car already has. Examples of such are as follows:
- Cruise control technology.
- Emergency brake systems.
- Backup cameras.
- Blind spot detectors.
- Lane assistance technology.
However, self-driving cars take this technology to the next level by making driver control optional. Automotive engineers are working toward a self-driving technology that is fully automated and can fully operate without a driver, which may eliminate the need for even a steering wheel or gas pedal. But as of now, a driver is still required to sit behind the wheel of a self-driving car in the state of Kentucky.
How does a self-driving car accident occur?
While the purpose of this new self-driving technology is to make the roads safer, accidents still occur. This is because human errors may still occur. Examples of such are as follows:
- Human error by a car manufacturer:
- Failing to check for faulty brakes or other car parts before sending cars to dealerships.
- Failing to recall cars with faulty brakes or other car parts.
- Human error by a technology designer:
- Failing to detect glitches or malfunctions in the car data or algorithms before sending out the technology.
- Failing to offer software updates when there is a glitch or malfunction in the car date or algorithms.
- Human error by a car operator:
- Failing to stay alert while the car is self-driving (i.e., texting, dosing off, eating, partaking in drugs or alcohol, etc).
- Failing to react to outside stimuli that the self-driving car cannot predict (i.e., a pedestrian or animal walking across the road, a large pothole, an ambulance needing to surpass you, etc).
And so, if you were involved in an accident with a self-driving car, you may be entitled to monetary compensation and other types of recovery via a personal injury claim. But before all else, you must place your lawsuit against the appropriate, at-fault party (i.e., a car manufacturer, a technology designer, or a human operator). For assistance with assigning fault, you must consult with a talented Pike County, KY auto accident lawyer. Pick up the phone and give us a call today.
