A car accident case in another state is making national headlines. While most motor vehicle accidents are only covered at the local level, this one is different because it involved a self-driving car, and now legal experts are weighing in as to how this case may be treated. It is unclear how many of these types of vehicles are already present in Louisiana. What is clear is victims of accidents involving self-driving automobiles — or their surviving family members — may have a number of options for seeking compensation.
According to news reports, a 49-year-old woman was walking her bike across a street in another state when an SUV hit her. The SUV was a fully-automated, self-driving Uber. Yes, there was a safety driver behind the wheel at the time of the collision, but the self-driving feature was activated. Sadly, the woman died of her injuries.
According to several attorneys from all over the country, there is a lot to look at in this Arizona case. This technology is still relatively new, so the laws regarding liability are still not up to snuff. Overall, though, it is believed that several people may be held accountable for this incident: the safety driver, Uber and the vehicle’s manufacturer.
In order to successfully seek compensation in this type of case, the victim’s loved one’s will have to prove that one or all of these parties were negligent in their actions resulting in the victim’s death. Proving negligence against potentially responsible parties would be necessary regardless of where motor vehicle accidents of this kind occurred. Louisiana residents who find themselves suffering losses due to accidents caused by self-driving vehicles may seek assistance from legal counsel as they fight for compensation for any damages sustained.
Source: msn.com, “Fatal self-driving-auto accident raises novel legal questions“, Tina Bellon, March 20, 2018