Autonomous Vehicle Accident Lawyer

You probably never imagined you would need an autonomous vehicle accident lawyer, but the future is now.

In 2015, Arizona became one of the first states to permit driverless, self-driving cars to be tested on public streets. Phoenix’s street grid-system offers an unrivaled real-world testing ground for autonomous vehicles. If you live in Phoenix, you undoubtedly have seen Google’s Waymo cars on the streets. As the testing of these vehicles increases in the coming years, it brings us closer to the day when self-driving cars dominate our roadways.

Manufacturers of self-driving cars and the companies that make autonomous vehicle hardware and software hail the safety benefits of these vehicles. However, as a recent fatal self-driving car accident in Arizona underscores, autonomous vehicles can still get into crashes. For this reason, it is important to know the legal issues that these types of car accidents present.

Contact Our Experienced Phoenix Autonomous Car Accident Lawyer If You’ve Been In An Accident With An Autonomous Vehicle

Our personal injury lawyers understand the difficulties you are going through and are here to help you. We will fight hard to get you the justice and compensation you deserve.

We have achieved success by adjusting with the times and staying on top of the latest technological developments. To discuss how we can help you after a collision involving a self-driving car in Arizona, contact us today at (602) 258-0646 for a free consultation.

What are Self-Driving Cars?

Self-driving cars are also commonly called “driverless cars” or “autonomous vehicles.” They feature a combination of hardware and software that allows the vehicles to navigate through traffic with little to no human input.

By taking humans out of the equation, the cars remove human error. In theory, that should make our roads safer in the future.

What Are The Different Classifications of Self-Driving Cars?

Not all autonomous vehicles perform the same level of self-driving. Researchers rate autonomous vehicles on a scale of 0 to 5. The higher the number, the less input required from the human operator of the vehicle. Here’s how the scale works in more detail:

• Level 0 – Motorists control all major systems (like gas, brakes, steering, etc.). Most older cars on the road fit into this category.
• Level 1 – A few different systems are autonomously controlled such as automatic braking and cruise control. Generally, this category encompasses vehicles manufactured within the last decade.
• Level 2 – In vehicles at this level, two or more autonomous features can operate at the same time such as steering and acceleration. Motorists are still required to operate the vehicles. Today, most new cars fall into this category.
• Level 3 – All safety functions in the vehicle are autonomous. However, motorists can take over the functions when sensors alert them. Usually, new self-driving cars are within this category.
• Level 4 – These vehicles can be fully autonomous in certain scenarios. Waymo cars are in this category- no human driver is necessary.
• Level 5 – These cars are fully capable of self-driving in all situations. These do not exist yet.

Who is Liable if I am Hurt in a Self-Driving Car Accident?

Liability in a self-driving car accident likely will come down to the simple question: What caused the crash? Consider these scenarios:

• If the self-driving vehicle is under the driver’s control and not in autonomous mode at the time of the crash, and the driver does something negligent to cause the accident, the driver could be liable for any resulting injuries.
• If the self-driving vehicle has a defective part that is unrelated to its autonomous features, the manufacture of the vehicle could potentially be liable for negligent design, testing or assembly of the defective part. For instance, a car may suddenly accelerate due to a defective gas pedal – not due to a flaw with its self-driving technology.
• If the self-driving vehicle is in autonomous mode at the time of the crash, and a defect linked to the autonomous hardware and/or software causes the accident, the manufacturer of the technology and/or the auto manufacturer bear legal responsibility for paying victims’ damages.

Because of the complex nature of autonomous vehicles and the many different companies who may be responsible for a car’s components, various scenarios exist in which multiple parties could be held liable.

How Can a Car Accident Lawyer Help Me After a Self-Driving Car Accident?

Self-driving car accidents raise potentially challenging legal issues. Of course, the technology and equipment that go into self-driving cars can be difficult to comprehend. This is why you should work with a law firm that can turn to highly knowledgeable experts in a variety of different fields to establish what went wrong in a self-driving car accident.

At Gage Mathers Law Group, we regularly work with auto-engineers, technology experts and accident reconstruction specialists to analyze the evidence in car accident cases. Our experts can identify the factors that caused a self-driving car crash and help us to determine who should be held responsible for those factors.

The manufacturers of self-driving vehicles and related technology have a lot at stake. They have invested a lot of money to develop these vehicles and get them to market. So, you can expect that they would vigorously challenge any claim that a defective vehicle or autonomous feature caused a crash. Our autonomous vehicle accident lawyers, however, will know how to aggressively protect your rights and fight for all compensation you are due.

What Are The Most Common Causes of An Autonomous Car Accident in Phoenix?

Interestingly, the most common cause of autonomous vehicle accidents is human-operated vehicles running into the back of a driverless vehicle. The majority of autonomous vehicle crashes happen while the vehicle is stopped.

In other words, the self-driving car is not causing accidents, humans are. Like other car accidents, the human driver failed to stop in time. Human drivers cause rear-end accidents with driverless cars by following too close, driving too fast, or not paying attention. Human drivers also cause sideswipe accidents with autonomous vehicles, but most sideswipe crashes occur when one or more vehicles are changing lanes.

Autonomous vehicles cause accidents with pedestrians, cyclists, and stationary objects on the roadway. The likely cause of these accidents are programming errors associated with object recognition and situational awareness. These are situations where having a human driver or remote monitor could come in handy.

By contacting our Phoenix car accident lawyers soon after a crash with an autonomous vehicle, we can help determine the cause of your accident, liaison with investigators, and help protect your rights.

Our Phoenix Autonomous Car Accident Attorney Will Protect You and Your Rights

When it comes to self-driving vehicles, the future will be here before we know it. Fortunately, our law firm is prepared for it. If you were injured in a car accident of any kind through no fault of your own, contact Gage Mathers Law Group for an immediate free consultation.