Modern vehicles are packed with incredible technology designed to make driving safer. Features like Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keeping Assistance, and Blind Spot Warnings are becoming standard on new cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) even provides a comprehensive guide to these driver assistance technologies, recognizing their potential to save lives.
But this technology is not foolproof. The systems can fail, and drivers can become overly reliant on them, leading to a false sense of security and a dangerous lack of attention. When an accident occurs involving a vehicle with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), it raises a complex and critical legal question: Who is at fault? Is it the driver who wasn’t paying attention, or is it the technology that failed to prevent the crash?
The answer can be the key to your personal injury case, and it requires a sophisticated legal investigation.
The Two Sides of ADAS Liability
When we investigate a crash involving these advanced systems, we look at two primary sources of potential negligence.
1. Driver Over-Reliance and Negligence The NHTSA is crystal clear: these are driver assistance technologies, not self-driving systems. The human driver is required to remain fully engaged and is ultimately responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle. Unfortunately, many drivers either misunderstand the limits of the technology or become complacent, treating it like an autopilot.
When a driver is looking at their phone, assuming their car will brake for them, and then causes a car accident, they are negligent. Their failure to remain attentive is the cause of the crash, and they can be held fully liable for the injuries they cause to others, including passengers, other drivers, or a pedestrian.
2. Technological Failure (Product Liability) What if the driver was attentive, but the system failed to work as advertised?
- Did the automatic emergency braking fail to detect a stopped vehicle?
- Did the lane-keeping assist suddenly disengage without warning?
- Did a sensor malfunction, causing the car to behave erratically?
In these situations, the fault may lie with the vehicle or parts manufacturer. This is a product liability claim. We can hold a manufacturer responsible if their technology was defectively designed, had a manufacturing flaw, or did not come with adequate warnings about its limitations. These cases are incredibly complex and often involve suing massive automotive corporations. They are particularly relevant in cases involving large commercial vehicles, where a failure in the ADAS of a truck can have devastating consequences.
How We Prove Your Case in the Age of ADAS To win a case involving driver assistance technology, we must go beyond a simple accident report.
- Securing the Electronic Data: Just like an airplane’s black box, these vehicles record a massive amount of data. We immediately act to preserve the vehicle’s Event Data Recorder (EDR) and any other electronic logs that show what the ADAS was doing at the moment of impact.
- Working with Tech Experts: We collaborate with automotive technology and accident reconstruction experts who can analyze the data to determine if the system was engaged, if it sent warnings to the driver, and if it performed according to its design specifications.
- Holding the Right Party Accountable: Our investigation determines where the true fault lies—with the inattentive driver or the failed technology—and we build the strongest possible case against the responsible party.
As technology continues to advance, the legal landscape of auto accidents will become even more complex. You need an attorney who understands these systems and knows how to uncover the electronic evidence that can prove your case.
If you have been injured in an accident involving a vehicle with driver assistance technology, contact Manoukian Law for a free and confidential consultation.
