Manufacturers Won't Bear All Liability For Driverless Vehicles

The anticipated impact of autonomous vehicles on driver safety cannot be overstated. According to federal data, roughly 37,000 people died and another 2.7 million were injured in car accidents in the United States in 2017 alone.¹

The United States Department of Transportation estimates that 94% of crashes involve driver-related factors, such as impaired driving, speeding or illegal maneuvers.² These striking numbers are a driving force behind the enthusiasm for autonomous vehicles, which are expected to substantially diminish or eliminate accidents caused by human error.

Such a shift would not only improve safety, but also transform the litigation landscape. Most obviously, a substantial reduction in accidents would likely produce a correspondingly substantial reduction in accident-related litigation. But commentators have suggested that the character of the remaining litigation would also likely shift.