What to Do if You’re in a Self-Driving Car Accident?
Posted on October 12, 2018 Written By: iadminlaw
Like it or not, the self-driving car revolution is here. Multiple states have cleared these high-tech vehicles for everyday use, with more likely to follow. Meanwhile, some of the world’s top automakers have turned their innovative efforts to vehicles that drive themselves.
While this is exciting on a pure technological level, and also points to a whole new world of luxury and ease, self-driving cars are not without their drawbacks. One of the big ones is safety.
Yes, for as foolproof and as fully-secure as these vehicles are supposed to be, they can still get into trouble. In fact, some self-driving car accidents have already been reported.
Reports of Self-Driving Car Accidents
Take a recent story from Mountain View, California, where one of Waymo’s self-driving Chryslers crashed on the freeway.
Evidently, the human driver who was in the vehicle fell asleep after an hour on the road, unwittingly turning off the self-driving software by touching the gas pedal. Since the self-driving software turned off, and the driver did not take hold of the steering wheel, the vehicle crashed through a highway median.
To be fair, this is human error—not necessarily a technological problem. Yet it does point to a simple, salient truth about self-driving cars, which is that, for as advanced as they may be, there’s still room for mishaps.
“The dozing driver didn’t respond to any of the vehicle’s warnings, including a bell signaling the car was in manual mode and another audio alert,” one report says—an example of how even the most robust technologies can fail in the face of simple human nature. (Thankfully, no other cars were involved in the accident, and the driver was not seriously injured.)
But all of this raises the question: What can you do if you are ever in a self-driving car accident—either as the passenger, or being hit by a self-driving automobile?
Responding to a Self-Driving Car Accident
Some quick advice from our self-driving car accident lawyers:
- First things first: Make sure all people involved in the accident are safe. Call the emergency responders to come administer care, if needed.
- If you don’t need an ambulance, do make sure you seek care from your doctor or from an urgent care—always! Get medical attention even if you don’t feel like you need it. Better safe than sorry!
- Maintain records of any medical appointments, treatments, or expenses incurred.
- File a claim with your insurance company; however, be prepared for them to challenge you or to not pay their fair share.
- Make sure you know the name of a good, reputable self-driving car accident attorney who can champion your rights, and tangle with the insurance company on your behalf.
It’s vital to have legal counsel who can help you get the care and compensation you need—and that’s where we come in!
I Accident Lawyer is a top car accident law firm, and we are proud to employ expert self-driving car accident lawyers. We are available 24/7 to review your case, and we can advise on the next steps you should be taking to see justice served.
If you are ever in a self-driving car accident, contact our team at I Accident Lawyer right away.
