When we hear the name Tesla, automated self-driving car technology come to mind. Although a Tesla can perform certain functions on its own, a person must still operate the car on their own. Should a crash occur, liability will likely pivot on whether only 0the cause of the crash was a matter of electrical engineering or human error. Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol were called upon to make a determination whether a Tesla’s autopilot or the Tesla’s driver caused a recent crash that killed two people and injured three others at the T-intersection of Manning Road and Hermosa Drive in Palm Harbor.
Airborne Tesla
The Tesla Model S Plaid was being operated by a 43-year-old Palm Harbor man at a high rate of speed on Manning Road. It went through a stop sign at Manning’s “T” with Hermosa, hit a curb, traveled up an embankment, and went airborne through a stockade fence before slamming into a house and breaking through both its rear and interior walls where it struck and killed a 69-year-old resident and the family dog. Another man, also 43-years-old who was a passenger in the car was also killed. The driver and two other passengers in the Tesla all suffered serious injuries. Authorities report that it didn’t appear as if an autopilot option on the electrically powered Tesla was engaged.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Tesla Crash?
Tesla’s autopilot software allows a vehicle to steer, accelerate and brake, but it’s only intended to make driving easier and reduce accidents. The need for a driver isn’t eliminated. Several fatal Tesla accidents have happened as of late when the autopilot system was engaged. What comes to issue in just about any Tesla crash is what went wrong and who was responsible for it.
If there was a technological flaw, the Tesla could be at fault and liable for any injuries, deaths, or other damages. If it was a case of driver carelessness and negligence, he or she could be at fault.
Fault might even be attributable to both Tesla and the driver. For example, the car’s autopilot might not detect a bicyclist in the road ahead but had the driver been paying attention, he or she still might have had time to slow down or otherwise avoid hitting the bicyclist.
Tesla isn’t the only carmaker that has an autopilot feature available on its vehicles. A few others are BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac and Toyota. If you were injured in an accident, you’ll need to know whether it was the fault of the driver, the manufacturer both of them or even a third party.
