Charlotte, NC Personal Injury Lawyer
The Self-Driving Car, Google’s latest science-fiction project to solve the world’s problems, continues to make headlines while vexing safety officials, insurance companies, and car manufacturers.
What’s a Self-Driving Car?
In December 2014, Google unveiled its first road-legal, working prototype of its self-driving car. While the car does have some manual controls in the event of an emergency, the self-driving is part of google’s push to make services more community-oriented and safer. The road-legal prototype has headlights and a full set of manual controls that allow for an immediate human intervention in the event the car’s software backfires. The adorable almost cartoon-like car will be about 1 of 200 prototypes that Google plans to make. This will allow google to engage in thorough testing and buy time for the software giant to find industrial partners that can bring the self-driving car to the mainstream in the next five years.
Because car manufacturing is not one of Google’s many specialties, the company is reaching out to well known car manufacturers to bring its vision to the masses. The rationale for this is that traditional automakers already have the knowhow and the institutional knowledge on how to mass-market cars successfully. General Motors, Ford, and Toyota are some of the traditional auto companies that Google plans to contact. Other car companies such as Tesla, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and GM have already begun working on their own driverless car systems.
As amazing as the self-driving car is, there are some safety considerations that must be addressed before the car can be available to the public. While Google has been in regular contact with safety regulators, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is urging states to adopt laws that will require drivers to receive additional training and special license before they operate a driverless car.
Liability as it pertains to safety and accidents is another factor. It is unclear how driverless cars will be viewed in the context of car accident lawsuits. If you are in an accident with a driverless car, who would you be able to hold responsible for your damages? Would it be Google or the manufacturer of the driverless car? The human driver? Would the human driver’s insurance cover for any accidents or does the self-driving car have its own type of insurance?
These are questions that will remain unanswered until self-driving cars are closer to being introduced into the mass market. It is important to always find an experienced and up-to-date attorney who can quickly evaluate your case and find innovative arguments so that you may recover for your injuries or property damage.
Contact the Personal Injury Law Firm of Bice Law
The personal injury firm of Bice Law will examine your case to determine the type and amount of damages that your injury warrants, including payments for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and any permanent disability. We’ll determine whether an out-of-court settlement or trial is the best strategy to obtain maximum benefits for you or your family. If you have suffered injury or harm because of someone else’s actions, take the first step to protect your legal rights – contact the personal injury firm of Bice Law serving both North and South Carolina. You only have a limited time after your injury to file a claim, so act quickly. Call 877-BICE-877 today or submit an online request to get a free consultation with a personal injury attorney. We serve families across both North Carolina and South Carolina.
