by Matthew G. Duff | Jul 29, 2019
Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), both members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, reintroduced the Security and Privacy in Your Car (SPY Car) Act last week. The bill aims to protect drivers from cybersecurity and data privacy risks in increasingly computerized motor vehicles. While the prospect for passage in this Congress is highly unlikely, the bill addresses two of the most critical issue areas hindering the enactment of any meaningful autonomous vehicle legislation. (more…)
by Baker Donelson | Jul 29, 2019
Ford and joint venture partner Argo AI recently deployed their latest self-driving test vehicle (a modified Ford Fusion) in Detroit. Argo and Ford are already testing AVs in Pittsburgh, Palo Alto, Miami, and Washington, D.C. All of the Ford/Argo vehicles have a safety driver and co-pilot in the passenger seat that monitors the vehicle’s performance. (more…)
by Baker Donelson | Jul 22, 2019
The Casualty Actuarial Society’s Automated Vehicle Task Force released a 76-page report entitled “Automated Vehicles and the Insurance Industry, A Pathway to Safety: the Case for Collaboration.” The report discussed the impacts AVs will have on personal automobile premiums, compensating claimants, product liability impacts, non-premium considerations, automated vehicle risk and risk minimization strategies, and safety benchmarks. (more…)
by David Broemel | Jul 8, 2019
The recent A.M. Best podcast “The Approaching Wave of Autonomous Vehicles Drives New Risks to Insurers – Episode #154” is timely in light of changing patterns of automobile design and ownership. Those who wonder if the state regulatory system and insurance industry can handle autonomous vehicle development need look no further than Tennessee’s response to problems caused by Uber and self-driving vehicles. (more…)
by Baker Donelson | Jul 1, 2019
On October 30, 2018, Shawn Hudson filed a lawsuit in Florida state court against Tesla, claiming that Tesla’s Autopilot system did not perform as advertised and caused his Model S to crash while on his commute to work. In the lawsuit, Hudson alleges that he paid $5,000 extra for the Autopilot feature so that he could relax on his 125 mile commute. In his first year of ownership, Hudson put 98,000 miles on the Model S, using the Autopilot function frequently. The complaint alleges that the more he used the Autopilot feature, the more he came to rely on it. (more…)
