When a Driverless Car Makes a Dangerous Mistake—Who is Liable for a California Robotaxi Crash?
Driverless vehicles are a common sight on California streets. They exist specifically to decrease the risk of accidents by allegedly eliminating the same human errors that lead to thousands of collisions every year. However, a recent review of Waymo collisions conducted by CNN found that these vehicles are not necessarily as safe as many believe. If you’re hit by a driverless vehicle, you’ll need to determine liability with the help of a car accident attorney in California.
At the Law Offices of Robin D. Perry & Associates, we advocate for accident victims who have suffered injuries, lost vehicles, and experienced significant financial losses due to others’ negligence. Robin Perry, Esq. has built his career fighting aggressively for clients, resulting in numerous high-profile cases and seven-figure resolutions. Schedule a consultation with our car accident law firm by giving us a call at 562-216-2944.
What a CNN Investigation Revealed About Robotaxi Risks
Investigations on Waymo vehicles and other robotaxis have found alarming trends. The fact that no human intervention is needed is used as a selling point, but it also creates entirely new safety problems. There are hundreds of incidents in which robotaxis have made clearly dangerous maneuvers and failed to handle obstacles that human drivers face on a daily basis.
The report included cases of Waymo vehicles running red lights, driving into oncoming traffic, driving through active crime scenes, ignoring road closures, and nearly hitting pedestrians.
Waymo has responded by recalling thousands of vehicles and slowing down its rollout in certain markets. It also no longer provides freeway service in any market.
However, robotaxis are still a part of transportation in California. It’s important to be aware of the risks and know what you can do if you are hit by a driverless vehicle.
Who Could Be Liable After a Driverless Vehicle Collision
In crashes involving standard vehicles, liability often lies with one or both drivers. It’s a bit more complicated with robotaxis, although you’ll likely still benefit from the insight of a car accident lawyer. Liability may rest with:
- Robotaxi operator or technology company: The company that operates the car may be liable if they were negligent in how they deployed, maintained, monitored, or designed the vehicle. Your car accident attorney may try to find out whether the company knew its vehicle struggled with certain roadway conditions, whether there were available software updates that could have prevented the collision, and whether the company continued providing the service after it became clear that an issue existed.
- Vehicle and component manufacturers: In some cases, liability extends to the manufacturers of the vehicles and specific components. Cameras, braking equipment, radar, steering systems, and other components may lead to preventable collisions.
Because so many companies may be involved in the creation of various components in a single car, liability may be spread across multiple parties.
How Software and Remote Assistance Complicate Fault
A driverless vehicle may operate the majority of the time independently but request assistance from a remote operator when it runs into a situation it doesn’t know how to handle. When this happens and a crash occurs, investigators may dig deeper to find out what happened. They may ask whether the vehicle requested assistance, how long it took someone to respond, and whether the remote operator had the information and time needed to provide help. If a human operator did not respond appropriately or was not available when they needed to be, the company that oversees those operations may also be partially to blame.
Dangerous Situations Robotaxis May Struggle to Interpret
Accident reports seem to show that robotaxis struggle with situations that are anywhere outside the norm. For example, they likely encounter adult pedestrians most of the time. Anyone who operates outside those expectations may cause issues. Examples include children, construction workers, cyclists, and people on scooters. Stopped school buses can also create confusing situations for vehicles.
Temporary or unexpected changes can also cause confusion. Temporary lane markings, police directing traffic, blocked traffic signals, fallen objects, and construction zones can all cause a vehicle to struggle in its response.
Discuss Your Case With a California Car Accident Lawyer Now
If you’ve been hit by a robotaxi, a car accident law firm can help you determine liability, seek compensation, and hold the negligent party accountable. Schedule your consultation now by calling us at 562-216-2944 or contacting us online.
Attorney Robin D. Perry has been part of the Long Beach Community for over 25 years handling business litigation, employment litigation and advising, criminal defense, personal injury and code enforcement defense for businesses.
