Self-driving cars are becoming a reality faster than most people expected. Companies like Google, Tesla, and Waymo have already built and tested self-driving prototypes, and these cars are hitting the roads.
However, much to everyone’s surprise, these vehicles are just as prone to car accidents as regular human-driven cars are. What’s worse is that filing a claim after a robotaxi accident isn’t as simple as a regular car accident.
There are complex issues about who is responsible, how insurance works, and what evidence is needed to prove fault. You’d have a difficult time navigating all of this on your own without help from attorneys experienced in robotaxi accidents.
Challenges That Arise When Suing Robotaxis for Car Accident Claims
Here are four complications that are usually seen in robotaxi accident claims:
- Figuring out who is actually liable for the accident?
In a normal car accident, it’s usually one of the drivers who’s to blame. But in a robotaxi accident, there might not be a human driver at all, which makes things much more complicated.
In most cases, liability might shift from personal responsibility to manufacturer responsibility. This means the company that built the car or designed the software could be the one facing legal action.
There are situations where the owner of the robotaxi might still be responsible. For example, if the owner failed to properly maintain the vehicle, and that led to an accident, they could be found liable. Also, if the car was in self-driving mode but the human driver was supposed to intervene and didn’t, the driver might share some of the blame.
- The insurance complications
Insurance works based on risk, and right now, most car insurance policies are designed for human drivers. But what happens when the driver is a robot? Who pays for the damages?
Currently, human drivers need to carry liability insurance in case they cause an accident. But with robotaxis, the insurance model could change completely.
Self-driving car owners might need to buy a new type of insurance policy, one that covers product liability instead of driver liability. This means manufacturers, like Google or Tesla, could be required to carry insurance to cover accidents caused by their vehicles.
And then there’s the debate about whether autonomous systems should be treated like human drivers for insurance purposes. Some experts suggest that if robots are replacing human drivers, they should also take on legal and financial responsibility like humans do. But for now, that’s still an open question.
- Proving fault in a robotaxi accident
In a regular car accident, insurance companies rely on driver statements, eyewitness reports, and police records to determine who was at fault. But what if one of the cars didn’t have a human driver? In self-driving car accidents, proving fault is a much more technical process.
When a self-driving car is involved in an accident, investigators look at the car’s black box data, sensor logs, and internal software records. These records can show whether the car detected the other vehicle, if it tried to brake, and if it followed traffic laws correctly.
Some companies, like Volvo, have already promised to take full responsibility for any accidents caused by their self-driving cars. But other manufacturers may fight claims aggressively to avoid paying damages. This means victims will still need strong legal representation to prove their case.
- The legal battle over autonomous vehicle laws
The laws around self-driving cars are still evolving, and this makes filing a claim even more difficult. Since robotaxis is a new technology, lawmakers are still trying to figure out how to regulate them properly.
Another issue is how different states handle self-driving car laws. Some states, like California and Texas, already have regulations for autonomous vehicles, while others don’t. This can make it confusing for accident victims who are trying to file a claim.
Until the laws catch up with the technology, robotaxi accident claims will likely remain complex and unpredictable.
