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Sue My Car Not Me: Products Liability And Accidents Involving Autonomous Vehicles, Jeffrey K. Gurney

Jeffrey K Gurney

Autonomous vehicles will revolutionize society within the decade. They will cause accidents. Tort liability, however, is not ready for the introduction of autonomous vehicles, and, thus, liability will not be assessed to the party that is responsible for the accident. This Note addresses the liability of autonomous vehicle by examining products liability through the use of four scenarios: the Distracted Driver; the Diminished Capabilities Driver; the Disabled Driver; and the Attentive Driver.

Based on those scenarios, this Note argues that the autonomous technology manufacturer should be liable for accidents while the vehicle is in autonomous mode. This Note suggests that …