Liability in Self Driving Car Accidents in Kentucky

As technology advances, laws and regulations protecting victims of car accidents are still catching up. As more self-driving cars hit the road every day, the question becomes who can be held liable for accidents.

The legal framework surrounding these crashes is complex, often shifting the burden of fault from human drivers to the technology itself. 

If you are trying to determine liability in self-driving car accidents in Kentucky, working with a Lexington car accident lawyer from Gary C. Johnson P.S.C. can help.

Common Reasons Self-Driving Cars Get in Accidents

Manufacturers tout autonomous vehicles as safer than human drivers, often highlighting that these vehicles are designed without the flaws of human error.

These vehicles are not without fault though, and when one is involved in a crash, you need to understand what factors contributed and who can be held accountable for your injuries and losses.

Some common causes of self-driving car crashes include:

• Sensor Malfunctions: Autonomous vehicles rely on sensors instead of human eyes to “see” their surroundings. A buildup of dirt, salt from roads, or even hardware failures can lead to an impaired or misinterpreted view, raising the risk of crashes.

• Software Issues: Self-driving cars utilize complex systems to navigate the road, and failures in the software, such as coding errors or flawed decision-making algorithms, can lead to miscalculations that result in accidents.

• Human Drivers: Most self-driving cars are not completely autonomous and require some attention to be paid by the human in the driver’s seat. If a driver is distracted from this duty, they can cause accidents.
• Other Factors: Poorly designed or mapped roads, other drivers, pedestrians, and unseen obstacles can lead to erroneous decisions from the vehicle’s system, which may not have accounted for every eventuality.

When determining fault in crashes involving factors like these, personal injury and product liability with self-driving cars may involve multiple parties, including the vehicle manufacturer or the software developer.

Determining which party is responsible for the specific failure that caused your injury requires a detailed investigation into the vehicle’s operating data.

Kentucky’s Self-Driving Car Laws

Self-driving vehicles require a whole slew of new laws and regulations to be built. Recently, the state of Kentucky introduced House Bill 7 in an attempt to establish clear regulations for the operation of autonomous vehicles on public roads.

Key regulatory provisions within the bill include:

• An insurance requirement for owners to carry a minimum of $1 million in liability insurance.
• Human oversight in large commercial vehicles over 62,000 pounds, at least until reevaluation in July 2026.
• An interaction plan for how the vehicle will respond to police during traffic stops and emergencies.

In addition to House Bill 7, there is federal guidance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and some precedents set by manufacturers, like Volvo, which have pledged to accept liability for their autonomous systems.

Consulting an attorney who has experience with autonomous vehicle law can help you build a case by leveraging this evolving legal landscape and retrieving the necessary vehicle data logs.

Help in Pursuing a Self-Driving Car Accident Case

If you were recently in an accident involving a self-driving car, you need to speak with a lawyer who understands the state and federal regulations, laws, and legal precedents involved.

When you are ready to discuss your claim, please contact us for a free case evaluation. We will help you explore your available legal options and pursue maximum compensation against the driver and all negligent parties.