Deadly Crash Involving Semi-Autonomous Vehicle in San Antonio Being Investigated by the NTSB

According to a KSAT News report, a deadly accident in San Antonio last month is under investigation by the NTSB due to one of the vehicles being semi-autonomous.

Police reported the accident occurred on February 24th at around 9:50 p.m. on Interstate 10 near Foster Road. A Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV was traveling eastbound on I-10 when he encountered a Honda CRV stopped in the middle lane with no headlights. The driver then hit the Honda, and its driver was taken to the hospital, where they later died of their injuries. The driver of the Mustang was not seriously injured. The NTSB opened an investigation into the accident since the Ford Mustang is a semi-autonomous vehicle that can control steering, braking, and lane positioning but still needs driver supervision.

Did You Know?

Self-driving vehicles are in crashes at a rate of 9.1 per million miles driven, which is higher than the human-operated vehicle rate of 4.1 per million miles driven.

Autonomous/Self-Driving Vehicle Accidents in Texas

Are self-driving vehicles safer?

Autonomous vehicles are expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Major car companies like Ford, Tesla, and BMW are creating new vehicles with autonomous driving features.

While the technology is likely to be a part of all vehicles in the future, self-driving vehicles currently have higher accident rates. If you’re hurt in an accident with a self-driving vehicle, you may be wondering how compensation for injuries will work. Let’s take a look.

Liability in Autonomous Vehicle Accidents

Fully autonomous vehicles that require no human element are not available yet. As such, the at-fault party in a semi-autonomous vehicle accident can still be the driver for negligent behavior like:

• Speeding,
• Aggressive Driving,
• Distracted Driving,
• Drunk Driving,
• Tailgating, and
• Ignoring Traffic Signals.

However, the addition of self-driving or assistance features in vehicles adds a new element. For example, if the vehicle’s assisted driving features cause or contribute to the accident, new parties may be responsible, such as:

• The Manufacturer,
• The Designer,
• The Distributor,
• The Software Developer, or
• A Repair Shop.

There is no clear-cut way to tell who will pay for an accident because so many individual factors are involved. A thorough investigation will have to be conducted to determine what exactly led to or contributed to the accident and find out who is responsible.

Regardless of who is found to be responsible, Texas law is clear: If you were hurt in an accident because of another party’s negligent actions, you are entitled to compensation for your injuries.

Hit by a Self-Driving Vehicle in Texas? Call Carabin Shaw.

If you were hurt in an accident with a self-driving vehicle in Texas and are wondering what to do next, you’ve come to the right place.

Carabin Shaw has represented those injured in auto accidents in Texas for over 30 years. We have an experienced team of ligators and investigators who can help you find out if you’re entitled to compensation for things like:

• Medical expenses,
• Funeral expenses,
• Missed work,
• Disfigurement,
• Property damage,
• Loss of enjoyment of life,
• and more.

Want to find out if you have a case? Call our firm for a free, no-obligation case evaluation at 800-862-1260, or hop into the live chat to get started. Carabin Shaw is a trusted name in San Antonio because we put our clients first. We look forward to serving you.

Contacting a Carabin Shaw attorney is free and does not require you to work with the firm.

¹KSAT News report