A self-driving Uber Volvo XC90 SUV killed 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg as she walked her bicycle across a street in Tempe, Arizona, marking the first fatality involving a self-driving car. The accident has raised numerous questions about the safety of autonomous cars.
Uber’s Self-Driving Car Kills Pedestrian
According to Tempe Police Detective Lily Duran, preliminary information indicates the car was going approximately 40 mph in a 35 mph zone. At the time of the accident, Rafael Vasquez, a 44-year-old test driver from Uber, was behind the wheel of the car and the car was in autonomous mode at the time of the crash.
In autonomous mode, the car is driving on its own. During tests of the autonomous mode, a person sits behind the wheel as a safeguard.
According to Sgt. Ronald Elcock, a Tempe police spokesman, there were no signs Vasquez was impaired after the collision.
Uber Responds
As a result of the accident, Uber has stopped testing self-driving vehicles throughout the United States and Canada. It had been conducting autonomous vehicle tests in Arizona, Pittsburgh, Toronto and other areas. Arizona was deemed a perfect spot for self-driving cars due to the fact that the state has little inclement weather.
In a statement regarding the accident, Uber said it is “fully cooperating” with local officials. “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family,” the company said.
In addition to the Tempe Police Department, the National Transportation Safety Board will be launching an investigation.
It will ultimately be up to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to determine whether any charges will be filed in the crash.
Earlier this month, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey updated an executive order in order to allow self-driving cars to drive on state roads without a test driver behind the wheel.
Many self-driving companies are aiming for 2020 as the goal for when self-driving vehicle technology would be deployed on American roads.
Two Forms of Wrongful Death Claims
There are two forms a wrongful death claim can take: negligence, or intention. This means either the victim died as the result of a negligent act of the defendant. Or the victim died as the result of the defendant’s intentions to kill the victim. Some examples of negligence include: victim’s death as a result of medical malpractice or the victim dies as the result of a faulty engine in the car the victim was riding in. An example of intention is when the defendant is believed to have murdered the victim on purpose.
Proving a Wrongful Death Claim
For the defendant to be declared liable in a wrongful death claim, the claim brought must meet the same burden of proof that the victim would have had to meet if the victim was alive. In the case of a negligence trial, plaintiffs must show the defendant owed a duty of care to the victim, that the defendant breached this duty of care, and that the breach of this duty directly caused the death of the victim.
Bringing a Wrongful Death Claim
Often the deceased person’s surviving relatives, dependents or beneficiaries bring the wrongful death suit against the responsible party or parties, seeking monetary damages for their loss. Often times the jurisdiction determines the individuals who are able to bring the claim. Generally, the primary beneficiaries (often the spouse and children, or parents) are able to bring a claim. While in some states parents of the deceased person may be also designated as beneficiaries. But, in most states, if the deceased person did not leave behind a husband or wife, any children or parents, there may be no one who will be able to bring a wrongful death claim.
In order to legally recover damages in a wrongful death action, there are some general requirements that must be met. They are as follows: (1) The death must have been caused by another’s negligence, i.e., it must be showed that the negligent person was at fault for the death; (2) if the deceased was alive, he or she would have been entitled to recover damages from the at fault party; and (3) the party or beneficiaries must meet the legal requirements to be allowed recovery of damages in the Wrongful Death action.
Wrongful death laws vary from state to state
Not every state follows the same guidelines, principles, or rules. And each state has its own set laws regarding wrongful death. A personal injury attorney can help advise you on if your wrongful death claim is valid and can help you are you pursue a claim against the responsible party or parties.
“True” versus “Survival Actions”
Some states have “true” wrongful death acts. This is when the deceased person’s survivors or next of kin are able to bring a cause of action for their damages inflicted as a result of their family member’s death. Other states have acts called “survival actions.” This form of lawsuit is brought by the survivors on behalf of the deceased person. This cause of action is for the deceased person’s pain and suffering that resulted from the injuries that caused his or her death.
In many jurisdictions, when the defendant’s negligence contributes only in part or in tandem with other circumstances to a person’s death, and not just the sole cause, liability may still be attached to the defendant.
Arizona ’s Wrongful Death statute outlines exactly what a party or beneficially is entitled to receive in the case of a wrongful death case. A wrongful death can be claimed when a person dies as a result of the legal fault of another person.
Jury Rulings on Wrongful Death Cases
A jury ruling on a wrongful death case is typically instructed to award damages to beneficiaries as it deems fair and just. And generally, a beneficiary will recover a monetary award. The amount recovered by a wrongful death is not subject to any debts or liabilities of the deceased, unless the action has been brought on behalf of the deceased’s estate.
Types of Damages
Various types of damages can be recovered in a wrongful death claim. What you file for will be dependent on the circumstances of the case. Here is a list of damages you can claim:
- Punitive Damages
- Loss of love, affection, companionship, care, protection, and guidance since the death and in the future.
- Pain, grief, sorrow, anguish, stress, shock, and mental suffering already experienced, and reasonably probable to be experienced in the future.
- Income and services that have been lost as a result of the death, and that are reasonably probable to be experienced in the future.
- Reasonable expenses of funeral and burial.
- Reasonable expenses of necessary medical care and services for the injury that resulted in the death.
Recovering Legal Damages
In order to legally recover damages in a wrongful death action, there are some general requirements that must be met. They are as follows: (1) The death must have been caused by another’s negligence, i.e., it must be showed that the negligent person was at fault for the death; (2) if the deceased was alive, he or she would have been entitled to recover damages from the at fault party; and (3) the party or beneficiaries must meet the legal requirements to be allowed recovery of damages in the Wrongful Death action.
