Strict product liability

AV developers are mainly worried about liability laws because of the risk of increased liability that will endanger their business. This Chapter answers the liability questions that will arise from accidents involving AVs in the light of the current liability regime, together with the possible implications of liability rules for AV manufacturers. This Chapter uses the recent accidents involving vehicles that have advanced driver assistance systems because these accidents offer crash scenarios that will be strikingly similar to those AVs will face in the future. Thus, this Chapter provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of whether liability laws in the U.S. could be easily applied to accidents involving AVs and whether these laws would increase the liability risk on AV developers. This Chapter also discusses the practical difficulties for plaintiffs, the possibility of a new liability regime, and the possible role of the insurance industry.