Fully autonomous vehicles are permitted on Florida roads, including self-driving trucks. Florida Statute §316.85, a human is not required to operate a fully autonomous vehicle unless required by another law. An automated vehicle has an automated driving system that allows it to operate with a human being physically present inside the vehicle.
Unfortunately, several potential problems for truck safety and truck accident liability may make it more difficult for others sharing the road. The issues related to self-driving truck accidents arise from existing legal doctrines and regulatory frameworks clashing with evolving technology.
Key Potential Problems With Self-Driving Trucks in Florida
Self-driving truck accident cases involve numerous issues that do not arise in other personal injury cases. The potential problems you may encounter when pursuing an injury claim for a self-driving truck accident include:
Complex Legal Liability
To recover compensation for a truck accident claim, you must determine fault for the cause of the accident. The party or parties who contributed to the cause of the crash can be liable for a victim’s economic and non-economic damages.
The parties who could be liable for a self-driving truck accident include, but are not limited to:
- The truck’s owner
- The truck’s operator
- The manufacturer of the truck and/or specific parts
- The supervising human operator
- Software developers
- Software installers and operators
In addition to the above, other parties could contribute to the cause of a truck crash, including other motorists, loaders, shippers, and maintenance companies. With a self-driving truck, a hacker could create malware or do things that could cause a wreck.
A self-driving truck accident case may require numerous experts and specialists to determine the cause of the crash. It must then be determined which parties are responsible for each factor that contributed to the crash.
Evolving Laws and Regulations for Autonomous Trucks
Florida is a leader in allowing autonomous trucks and vehicles on the roads. It fosters a pro-business environment to encourage companies to develop, test, and deploy self-driving vehicles. However, federal and state regulators continue to develop safety standards and rules.
Lawmakers continue to grapple with new laws governing the issues related to this new industry, while courts try to sort out issues related to accident liability. Because these areas have not completely caught up with the issues related to self-driving truck accidents, there may be gaps in accountability.
Challenges with Human Interface with Technology
Even though self-driving trucks may operate safely on roads, the trucks encounter challenging situations, including unpredictable human drivers, road construction zones, pedestrians, bicyclists, and changing traffic conditions.
Human oversight may be necessary in specific situations. However, the role of the human operator is often ambiguous, raising questions about human liability for a self-driving truck accident.
Insurance Claims for Self-Driving Truck Accidents
The insurance industry is also adapting to cover different risk profiles related to self-driving truck accidents. The unique issues involved in self-driving truck accidents may require insurance companies to develop new clauses and exclusions for policies that address software errors, manufacturer product liability, and traditional driver negligence.
Longer and More Complicated Claims
Self-driving truck accidents can cause catastrophic injuries, wrongful deaths, and life-altering impairments. Victims and their families need and deserve compensation for their losses. However, because these cases do not have strong case law or definite statutes to address complicated issues, the time it takes to settle a self-driving truck accident claim can be longer.
What Are the Risks of Self-Driving Trucks in Florida?
Self-driving trucks have many of the same risks as human-operated trucks, including huge blind spots, defective truck parts, hazardous road conditions, and poor weather. However, other risks associated with self-driving trucks could increase the chance of an accident.
Some of those risks include:
- Unpredictable human behavior by people on the road
- Failures and defects in sensors and software
- Security risks that make self-driving trucks vulnerable to cyber-attacks
- The ethical dilemma of allowing AI to prioritize who to protect if an accident is unavoidable
- Lack of sufficient traffic laws to address the increased number of self-driving trucks on roads
As more self-driving truck accident lawsuits go to court, we will have legal precedents to guide how these cases are decided. Furthermore, regulations and laws should continue to evolve to address these issues.
The best thing victims of self-driving truck accidents can do now is seek legal advice from an experienced Florida truck accident lawyer.
Consider Working With an Experienced Jacksonville Truck Accident Lawyer
The increase in self-driving trucks highlights the need for truck accident victims to work with a Jacksonville truck accident lawyer with significant experience in this field. A Florida self-driving truck accident lawyer understands the complex nature of these claims, including complex liability issues.
The lawyers at The Truck Accident Law Firm have extensive resources to investigate self-driving truck accidents and knowledge of the emergency technologies and changing laws governing these accident claims. Contact us for a free consultation to learn more about truck accident claims.
