Sandy Springs DUI and Autonomous Vehicles – Who is Liable When Technology Fails?

An arrest for DUI can have dire repercussions, from jail time and fines to mandatory alcohol education courses and more. Therefore, having an experienced Sandy Springs DUI Lawyer represent you is of vital importance.

Jim Yeargan’s experience as a former prosecutor allows him to challenge your case and the procedures and evidence being used against you by police.

1. Failure to Maintain Control

Once considered science fiction, autonomous vehicles (AV) and driverless cars are now reality. AVs promise to reduce traffic accidents, injuries, and deaths caused by human error by eliminating human intervention while also raising complex legal considerations around responsibility and liability issues.

Automobile manufacturers such as Google, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo have signaled their willingness to assume liability should an accident involving one of their fully automated vehicles occur; however, strict product liability laws could make this difficult for manufacturers.

Vehicle manufacturers have the responsibility of ensuring the reasonable safety of their products, such as ensuring that software on self-driving cars works as intended. Furthermore, inspection and testing should take place prior to release to the public. When investigating accidents involving Waymo cars it will be important to determine if there was someone present when an incident took place, or whether the car was operating autonomously at the time of an incident.

3. Defective Technology

Autonomous vehicles introduce unique legal complications which must be managed by courts. To ensure consumer protection and hold vehicle manufacturers responsible in case their self-driving cars do not perform as intended.

Manufacturers found responsible for accidents involving their autonomous vehicle must compensate those injured for medical expenses, property damages and any resulting pain and suffering. It is the manufacturer’s duty to create safe models during design phase of production as well as test them thoroughly to ensure their public safety before release to market.

Manufacturers must also provide clear and conspicuous warnings about any risks associated with their products, if this duty is neglected it could lead to liability in an “Affidavit of Fault Lawsuit.” Third-party component suppliers such as sensor makers responsible for an accident that causes it may also be held liable as negligence parties.

4. Recklessness

Crash investigations often center on driver negligence; however, due to self-driving cars’ increasing technology it may become harder than ever before to ascertain who was at fault when an incident occurs.

Google and Uber drivers could be held liable if their vehicle is involved in an accident due to failing to take control in case there was a problem with their self-driving system, yet did nothing when issues surfaced. Establishing negligence will require extensive forensics analysis.

Reckless driving is a serious crime that carries severe penalties. To safeguard your freedom, contact our Sandy Springs reckless driving attorney immediately for a free consultation.

Our law firm provides both criminal and civil representation for drunk driving accidents. Additionally, if you’ve been injured or lost someone due to such accidents in Atlanta, Sandy Springs or elsewhere within Georgia – our firm represents clients.