Kerr Russell member Max Sneyd (intellectual property, automotive) is quoted in the Forbes article “First Death Of A Pedestrian Struck By An Autonomous Vehicle May Set Tone For Lawyers And Liability” by David Kiley.
“A self-driving car operated by Uber knocked down and killed a woman in Tempe, Ariz., Sunday evening, in the first fatality of a pedestrian struck by such a vehicle on a public road.
“The incident could take on a life of its own in the courts, as well as the court of public opinion, as there is virtually no case law established around autonomous driving technology, which is still unfamiliar to consumers and has yet to be adequately addressed by federal regulators. …
“The Tempe accident could establish the first batch of case law for autonomous vehicles should the victim’s family press a case of liability. It will be a challenge for the courts, say lawyers. ‘There are not good parallels in the area of emerging technology and intellectual property where public safety is so paramount,’ says Max Sneyd, partner at law firm Kerr Russell in Detroit, who is chairman of the firm’s intellectual property practice.”
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