New Jersey residents have likely heard about Tesla Motors, a car company that manufactures fully-electric cars that have autopilot features. However, the hype around these vehicles has been paired with news of several accidents that are being blamed on the autopilot software.
One accident involved a Model S in China. The driver had dashcam video showing the Tesla scraping a vehicle that was sitting on the shoulder. Tesla responded to the claims by stating that the driver did not have his hands on the wheel, which is always recommended by the company. Additionally, the driver did not appear to attempt to avoid the accident. It was later discovered that the driver was distracted by his phone when the accident took place.
Although there are various reports of Tesla vehicles becoming involved in accidents, one driver wanted to report a time when their Tesla Model X saved prevented an accident. They were reportedly driving from Las Vegas when a vehicle in the left lane suddenly changed lanes in front of them. If the autopilot had not braked the car, it is possible that the other vehicle would have clipped their front bumper. This could have caused an accident that may have potentially involved other vehicles behind them.
Motorists who cause a car accident because they were not paying attention or were distracted by their phone may be held financially responsible for the injuries that were sustained by others. A personal injury attorney can be of assistance to an injured victim by using the results of the accident investigation report, eyewitness testimony and other evidence in order to demonstrate negligence.