Self-Driving Accident Claims: Are You As Safe As Robots?

Do you think you could drive as well as a robot? Well, with technological trends pointing to cars driving themselves before long this test may be taken sooner than later.

It is hoped that a self-driving car will be safer than a human at the controls as a machine does not get tired, distracted or drunk. After all, can human drivers compare to 360 degree monitoring and almost immediate reaction times? However robots aren’t perfect, there are still likely to be some form of road accidents and people will inevitably still make road accident claims.

Road Statistics

Figures from July to September 2013 recently released by the Department of Transport found that there were over 184,000 (reported) road casualties of all severities which in fact is down from the previous figures. Sadly however nearly 16,000 of these casualties were children, and motor vehicle traffic has risen on the whole.

It is figures such as these which it is hoped that self-driving cars will improve and fall well below in comparison to a human operated vehicle, portraying a safer network of British roads.

Driving Records

Settling claims when robots are involved may be quicker than dealing with humans. Often if two cars get into a collision drivers will have conflicting memories or opinions about who is at fault, as a result settling can be tricky. Self-driving cars however will have the ability to record the journey taken and therefore be able to recall how the accident happened using their photographic memories providing instant evidence of the party at fault. Problem solved!

But can you really expect a passenger in a self-driving car to pay compensation when they weren’t actually at fault? Of course not. This is where the manufacturer would get involved. If a technical glitch occurs which causes a crash then only the automobile manufacturer can be to blame; there is a malfunction so that the car does not act how expected when purchased.

This chance crash within self-driving cars does seem rare however. Google are currently creating and researching their own self-driving cars and so far have logged 300,000 miles without any crashes caused by these automated vehicles. A person did drive into the back of one however at a set of traffic lights but that was a human fault so we won’t count that!

With self-driving cars expected to be hitting our roads in around 3 years’ time these issues may appear sooner than you may think. For the mean time though, if you are looking for more information on road accident claims in Cardiff or surrounding areas give Nigel Jones’ solicitor firm – JMD Law.

What to do if your solicitor has been negligent

If you instruct a solicitor to work on your behalf, you’ll be doing so in order to right a wrong, or to gain recognition that another party had flouted their legal responsibility. A good solicitor will work with you to build a watertight claim and get you the compensation and acknowledgment that you deserve.

However, what if your solicitor isn’t any good? After all, like every profession, there are some solicitors who aren’t in it for the right reasons and provide a shoddy service. What if they didn’t represent you as best they could? Unfortunately, this is a problem that occurs all too often across the country.

How can a solicitor be negligent?

Many people don’t consider that a solicitor themselves could actually be negligent, but it is a relatively common problem. Although no two claims of negligence can be the same, a solicitor could be found to be negligent in the following circumstances:

• If their work caused your claim to be struck out by court
• If they settled your claim for less than it was worth
• If they sued the wrong party
• If they failed to oversee an estate in the correct manner
• If they made a mistake while drafting a lease
• If they wrote a will improperly
• If they neglected to serve a notice by a specific deadline
• If they failed to advise you about a specific regulation such as planning permission

These are just some of the ways in which solicitors can be in the wrong.

What can you do if your solicitor has been negligent?

If you think that you’ve been wronged by your solicitor, your first course of action is to take the problem up with them. Each solicitor will have a specific company procedure in the way that they deal with complaints so it’s essential to go down that avenue first. Send a dated, carbon-copied letter to the solicitor outlining your complaint so that they can investigate it in full.

You may find that, after the solicitor concludes its complaints process, it’s possible to close the case and receive compensation.

However, it’s entirely possible that you won’t be satisfied with the findings of the solicitor. In that case, you can request for the case to be referred to the legal ombudsman, who specialises in complaints against solicitors. If they find you’ve been wronged they can award a limited amount in compensation to you and, if necessary, recommend you seek legal help to recoup more costs.

Appoint an expert solicitor

It may seem perverse to appoint a solicitor in order to make a claim against another solicitor, but if you’re yet to receive full compensation for your troubles, then that’s the course of action to take. In this instance, it’s essential to work with someone who’s adept at suing a professional and who’s been there before.

For more information about whether your solicitor has misrepresented you, talk to our expert team of professional negligence solicitors today by calling Nigel Jones on 02920 456780.