Vehicles with automated driving features can create unfamiliar questions after a crash. The technology may have controlled part of the driving task, while a person still had responsibilities behind the wheel. Determining what the system was designed to do is essential to understanding the collision.
At Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, we offer a free consultation to victims injured in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Our firm works on a contingency fee basis, meaning attorney fees are collected only if compensation is recovered. Contact us at (561) 944-4000 for a free consultation with a Palm Beach Gardens self-driving car accident lawyer.
How Can Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Help After a Self-Driving Car Accident in Palm Beach Gardens, FL?
A self-driving car claim may depend heavily on technical evidence that is not visible at the crash scene. Information stored by the vehicle can help show which features were active and whether the system issued a warning or expected the driver to intervene.
Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers has more than 80 years of combined experience and has recovered over $500 million for accident victims.
Our Palm Beach Gardens personal injury lawyers can investigate issues specific to the technology involved, including matters such as:
- Which automated features were engaged immediately before impact
- Whether the system detected the roadway hazard
- If the driver received a request to take control
- Whether software or sensor performance contributed to the crash
- Whether prior repairs affected an automated driving component
Our team can use this evidence to determine how the crash occurred, identify potentially responsible parties, and build a claim for the compensation you may be entitled to receive. Contact us today for a free consultation with a Palm Beach Gardens car accident lawyer.
What Causes Self-Driving Car Accidents?
Automated driving technology varies considerably from one vehicle to another. Many systems available today assist with specific driving functions rather than replacing the driver entirely, so a crash can occur when the technology performs unexpectedly or when the driver relies on it beyond its intended limits.
Possible causes include:
- Sensor failing to identify another road user
- Software responding incorrectly to changing traffic conditions
- Driver failing to retake control when required
- Automated features being used outside intended conditions
- A malfunction following improper repair or maintenance
Identifying the cause requires evidence about the particular vehicle and system rather than assumptions about self-driving technology as a whole. The same crash may raise separate questions about how the system performed and how the driver responded.
What Injuries Commonly Occur in Self-Driving Car Accidents?
Automation changes how a vehicle operates, but it does not reduce the physical force of a collision. Occupants, pedestrians, bicyclists, and people in other vehicles can suffer serious harm when an automated or partially automated vehicle crashes.
Potential injuries include:
- Head injuries and concussions
- Damage to the neck or spine
- Broken bones from direct impact
- Internal injuries
- Permanent injuries
The severity of an injury can affect treatment and future losses. Medical records can help establish whether the crash caused lasting limitations requiring continued care or interfering with work.
Common Challenges in Self-Driving Car Accident Cases
One challenge is determining what the vehicle was actually capable of doing at the time of the collision. Marketing terms can make a feature sound more autonomous than it is, while the vehicle’s operating instructions may still require continuous driver attention.
Another dispute may concern whether the problem came from the technology or the way it was used. A manufacturer may point to driver conduct, while a driver may argue that the system behaved in a way that was unsafe or unexpected. Technical evidence can be important when those accounts conflict.
Access to vehicle data can create an additional obstacle. Information relevant to the crash may be controlled by a manufacturer or technology company rather than the injured person. Preserving that evidence early can help prevent a case from depending only on competing recollections of the collision.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit?
Questions about new vehicle technology do not extend Florida’s ordinary deadline for a negligence lawsuit. For accidents governed by the current law, a negligence action generally must be filed within two years.
A self-driving crash may also involve a product liability theory or another type of claim with different legal issues, so the applicable deadline should be evaluated based on the facts. Acting earlier can also matter when electronic vehicle data or other technical evidence needs to be preserved.
Speak With a Palm Beach Gardens Self-Driving Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
A self-driving car accident should not be treated as an ordinary collision until the role of the technology is understood. Establishing what the vehicle was doing before impact can help determine whether responsibility belongs with the driver, a company connected to the vehicle, or more than one party.
Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers can review the crash and identify the evidence needed to evaluate responsibility. Contact our firm for a free consultation with a Palm Beach Gardens self-driving car accident attorney.