Autonomous vehicle accidents can be complicated, as the driver has less control over an autonomous vehicle. Several states have enacted laws that hold vehicle manufacturers, drivers, and owners responsible to varying degrees.
Hiring a truck accident lawyer can be pivotal to your case, as they can help guide you on state laws and determine liability in your case. This article will go over the steps you should follow if you’re in an accident involving an autonomous truck.
Call Law Enforcement
The first thing you should do after an accident is call law enforcement. Filing a police report is crucial to your truck accident claim, as it helps determine the course of events and, hence, liability. In the case of an autonomous truck accident, it can help determine what went wrong with the truck’s systems. Police will have to look into system logs and sensor data from the vehicle to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Document the Scene
It’s important to collect evidence of the accident, which can include things like photos or videos of the damage. This shows the extent of damage and can be used to piece together the course of events. Autonomous vehicles typically store detailed logs of their journey, which can show what went wrong during the accident.
Additionally, take note of any visible debris or tire marks, as these can be important in reconstructing the sequence of events.
Get Medical Attention
Once you’ve reported the accident to the police and documented any evidence that you can, you should get medical attention. This is essential to determine if there are any underlying injuries that need to be treated, even if you feel fine. Injuries such as whiplash or concussions can sometimes take days to be detected.
Seeking medical care right away also helps show the link between the accident and your injuries, which is critical for your case. The cost of medical treatment, along with all other related procedures, can be compensated in a personal injury claim.
Hire a Lawyer
Finally, you should hire a lawyer to help you file a truck accident claim. A lawyer will be able to investigate the accident, determine possible liability, help you gather evidence to support your claim, and file all the relevant documents on time.
They can help determine the full cost of damages and ensure that you are adequately compensated.
Liability for the Accident
There are several parties that can be held liable for an autonomous vehicle accident, including:
- Truck Manufacturer: The manufacturers of the truck can be held liable for the accident if there was any fault during the manufacturing process that caused the accident.
- Software Developers: If there were any errors in the code that the truck runs on, the people responsible for developing it could be held liable.
- Driver: If there was a human operator present in the vehicle at the time of the accident who failed to take the necessary measures to prevent the accident, they can be held liable.
- Trucking company: Finally, if the truck was operated by a logistics company and they failed to follow the required procedures for safety, they may be held liable for the accident.
Conclusion
Autonomous truck accidents can be tricky; however, some states do have legislation in place to simplify things. This could help determine the liable parties that include everyone from the truck manufacturer and software developers to the driver of the vehicle.
Hiring a lawyer is crucial to such accidents, as lawyers are well-versed in state laws and will be able to guide you in filing a truck accident claim and in determining liability.
