Amazon is an innovative leader in e-commerce as well as delivery services. Amazon’s next endeavor is to conquer the world self-driving trucks. Given Amazon’s success in its different business areas, it is not unimaginable to believe that Amazon will have relative success in this area as well.
Amazon wants to develop a fleet of self-driving commercial trucks and to use this fleet to continue transporting its goods safely and on time. Amazon, like other companies that use or will use self-driving commercial trucks, seeks the opportunity to address its market needs while also maximizing driver safety.
Unlike with human-operated commercial trucks, self-driving trucks are designed with the goal of minimizing human error. Self-driving trucks are designed to be as safe as possible. Self-driving trucks take factors such as the amount of traffic, the direction of traffic, and speed limits into account. Most importantly, they remove accident-causing factors such as road rage, speeding, and distracted driving.
Who is Responsible in Case of an Accident Involving Self-Driving Trucks?
Although Amazon is designing its self-driving trucks with safety in mind, it is not unreasonable to believe that they will be involved in accidents. Who is responsible whenever there is an accident involving Amazon’s self-driving trucks?
Accidents involving commercial trucks remain quite common in the United States. In 2014, large trucks were involved in about 88,000 accidents. Of those, nearly 4,000 were fatal crashes.
Individuals who recover damages in big rig crash cases must do so under a theory of liability. It is much easier to identify liability with human drivers as you can determine that someone did something wrong and it caused the crash. With self-driving trucks, at least as how Amazon would intend, accidents will be caused either by another’s negligence or some technical factor that affects the truck’s ability to operate safely.
An injured party may need to show that the accident was Amazon’s fault and doing so will require a lot of investigation, careful analysis, and showing a detailed connection between the accident and Amazon’s negligence. It is always advisable that an injured party retain the services of an experienced attorney.
Contact an Experienced Houston Commercial Truck Accident Attorney Today
If you or someone you care about has been involved in a commercial truck collision, you should count on an experienced lawyer to help you recover damages. Do not hesitate to discuss your case with the experienced team at the firm of Stewart J. Guss, Attorney at Law. We will work to help you recover the compensation you are owed. Schedule your free consultation by calling 281-644-6500 today.
1 http://www.pcmag.com/commentary/351176/patent-hints-at-amazon-self-driving-delivery-truck-plans
2 https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts-2014
