Fatal collision in Florida leads to accusations against NHTSA

There are many gadgets that make travel more convenient than it was a few decades ago. For instance, it used to be necessary to pull out a map in order to find a correct travel route. Today, a click of a button on a GPS device talks drivers to their destinations. However, advanced technology is not always as helpful as one might hope, such as a fatal auto accident that occurred when a driver had his car on autopilot.

The vehicle apparently did not apply the brakes when needed, and while traveling approximately 69 mph, the car collided with a tractor-trailer that had turned into its path. Sadly, the 50-year-old driver of the car suffered fatal injuries in the crash. The tractor-trailer operator was not hurt. 

Since the 2019 collision, a report by the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, as well as Tesla, were partially to blame for the fatal accident. The report states that the NHTSA should have required manufacturers to place safeguards in autopilot systems against operating them in areas where they are not designed to work. In this case, the system could not detect the tractor-trailer in its path because it was a section of cross traffic. 

When a fatal auto accident occurs, investigations can take months. These tragedies often lead to litigation, and a surviving immediate family member of an accident victim may file a wrongful death claim against any party or parties believed to have been at fault. It is difficult to prove such claims in civil court, which is why most plaintiffs in Florida rely on experienced personal injury attorneys to represent their interests throughout the legal proceedings.