As Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare companies test autonomous vehicles, accidents involving self-driving technology create new legal challenges. Determining liability when no human driver is at fault requires navigating emerging law and complex technology.

Current State of Autonomous Rideshare

Rideshare companies are actively developing and testing autonomous vehicles:

Waymo operates autonomous rideshare services in limited areas.

Cruise (GM) has tested autonomous rideshare in several cities.

Uber continues autonomous vehicle development after previous testing programs.

Safety drivers may still be present in many autonomous vehicles as backup.

Liability in Autonomous Vehicle Accidents

When self-driving rideshare vehicles cause accidents, potential defendants include:

The rideshare company operating the vehicle may be liable as the vehicle operator, even without a human driver.

The vehicle manufacturer may face product liability claims for defects in sensors, software, or hardware.

Software developers who created the autonomous driving systems.

Component suppliers providing lidar, cameras, or other critical systems.

Safety drivers if present and negligent in failing to intervene.

Legal Theories in AV Cases

Autonomous vehicle litigation may proceed under multiple theories:

Product liability: The autonomous driving system may be defectively designed or manufactured.

Negligence: Companies may be negligent in testing, deployment, or operation of autonomous vehicles.

Strict liability: Some argue autonomous vehicle operators should be strictly liable for accidents their vehicles cause.

Vicarious liability: Companies may be responsible for the "actions" of their autonomous systems.

Evidence Challenges

Autonomous vehicle cases present unique evidence issues:

Black box data: Self-driving cars record extensive data about decisions, sensor inputs, and system status that can establish what happened.

Proprietary algorithms: Companies may resist disclosing trade secrets about how their systems make decisions.

Expert complexity: Understanding AV failures requires specialized technical expertise.

Rapid technology changes: Systems evolve quickly, making historical performance data difficult to interpret.

Insurance for Autonomous Vehicles

Insurance frameworks for autonomous vehicles are still developing:

Commercial policies typically cover rideshare company autonomous vehicle operations.

No-fault considerations: Traditional driver-focused insurance models may not apply when no human driver is involved.

Coverage amounts may differ from standard rideshare insurance policies.

Pursuing Autonomous Vehicle Claims

If injured by an autonomous rideshare vehicle:

Document everything: Note vehicle markings, any safety driver presence, and whether the vehicle appeared to be operating autonomously.

Report the accident: Contact the rideshare company and local authorities.

Preserve evidence: Request that all vehicle data be preserved immediately.

Seek specialized counsel: Autonomous vehicle cases require attorneys familiar with emerging AV law and technology.