Self-driving vehicles have gained popularity in recent years, so the chances of being involved in an accident with one have increased. Technology, such as GPS, radar, computer vision, odometry, and laser have enabled these vehicles to sense their surroundings and navigate around things.
Unfortunately, equipment might malfunction, and an accident might result. If equipment malfunctions and the vehicle makes an error, you might be able to pursue a personal injury claim to recoup damages.
If you have been involved in a crash that involved a self-driving vehicle, you should consult with a North Carolina personal injury attorney.
How Negligence Comes into Play
Negligence is the cause of many motor vehicle accidents. If you can prove negligence, you can have a successful personal injury claim. There are four elements of negligence – duty, breach, causation, and damages.
After you have proven those four elements, you have shown that negligence was the cause of the crash. As an example, any driver on the road has the responsibility to act with due care to avoid an accident and to prevent injuries to others.
That duty can be breached in many ways, such as by a vehicle not adhering to traffic laws and running a stop sign or ignoring a traffic signal. If the self-driving car ran a stop sign, it breached the duty.
When that car crashes into you, it has caused the accident. When the accident caused a broken arm, it has led to your damages.
Michigan Accident and Insurance Laws
Michigan uses laws that indicate if you are 50% or more at fault for a crash, you can be sued for damages. Recovery is proportionately related to your own negligence in the accident. If you are 20% at fault for the accident, then you will not be able to recover damages for that portion of your loss.
Therefore, Michigan uses comparative negligence when resolving personal injury claims. If you were in a crash that resulted in $30,000 of damages and you were 20% at fault, you could only recover compensation for 80% of your losses.
That means you could only recover $24,000 for the damages you suffered from the crash.
In Michigan, minimum liability insurance limits require bodily injury at $20,000 per person and up to $40,000 per accident. You are required to have at least $10,000 coverage for property damage.
Personal injury protection (PIP), is the medical coverage, the auto insurance company is responsible for and can be up to amounts as high as $500,000. There are different levels of coverage available. Having health insurance can also help cover the costs of your injuries after an auto accident.
Anything not covered by your health insurance, your auto insurance will take care of. If you are caught driving without insurance in Michigan, you will pay a $200 driver responsibility fee each year for two years, have driving privileges suspended for as long as 30 days, pay a reinstatement fee for driving privileges in the amount of $25, and face up to a year of jail time.
Speak With A Michigan Personal Injury Attorney
In Michigan, there is a three-year statute of limitations for pursuing a personal injury claim after an accident. Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form on this page to have your information shared with a personal injury lawyer. You will get a free case review and you can get your claim on the right track.
