Unmanned Self-Driving Car Injury

Unmanned Self-Driving Car Injury

On Monday, April 2, 2018, self-driving cars without an operator have become street legal. This is only true in the state of California. That’s right, a car without a person behind a wheel can drive itself around in the state of California. The only problem is, so far only one car company has applied for a permit to allow their cars to do so.
We see the benefits of self-driving vehicles. Distracted driving has injured many, many people. In our line of work, we meet a lot of people whose lives are changed by distracted drivers. Of course, automated vehicles are not without faults. Several automated vehicles have been involved in crashes. But if you consider the crashes caused by human drivers during the same timeframe, you can see the benefits. It is a new technology and will take time to become near-perfect.

The Future Of Unmanned Self-Driving Vehicles

There is little doubt California is leading the way for unmanned self-driving cars. To be sure, we are moving toward automated cars. Much debate is still happening over cars with self-driving features. How safe are they? Should they be allowed on public roads? Will this technology be mandatory? It’s impossible to say exactly where these technologies will lead us.

PA And NJ Rules For Unmanned Self-Driving Cars

In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, unmanned cars cannot drive on the road legally. Additionally, in both states, cars must have an operator behind the wheel. Pennsylvania is one of 10 states allowing testing of self-driving unmanned cars. But, testing only happens in specific locations. For now, a self-driving car in both states must have an operator available to take control.

California Rules And Regulations

Pennsylvania and New Jersey have different rules for unmanned self-driving cars. In California, though it is legal for an unmanned self-driving car to drive around, it must have the approval to do so. As of writing, only one company has applied for this privilege. And, even that application is still under review. It may be months (or longer) before an unmanned self-driving car is on California streets.

Unmanned Self-Driving Car Lawsuits

There are a lot of ideas on how cases involving unmanned self-driving cars would be handled in court. Criminal charges are unlikely. A prosecutor would have to show a person in the company intended harm. It’s likely a case against an unmanned self-driving car would be a civil case. In civil law, it’s likely a product liability case. Meaning, the company behind the self-driving technology was negligent in safety protocols. Or, the car manufacturer was negligent in the safety features of their product.

Self-Driving Car Injury Lawsuit

Have you been injured by a car on autopilot? Did a self-driving car crash into you? Kane & Silverman helps people injured in car crashes. If you’re injured and the crash wasn’t your fault, we can help you. Call or text us at 215-232-1000. Or, fill out our online contact form and someone from our legal team will contact you.