Trial Lawyers Lobby Against Autonomous Vehicles
The article argues that trial lawyers, through the American Association for Justice, have been lobbying against autonomous vehicle (AV) legislation for nearly a decade, despite evidence that AVs are substantially safer than human drivers. Citing Waymo data over 220 million miles, the article reports 94% fewer serious injuries, 82% fewer air bag deployments, and 93% fewer pedestrian injuries compared to human driving. The author contends that trial lawyers oppose AVs because they profit from litigating the roughly $180-220 billion in annual U.S. auto insurance payouts. The article advocates for a UK-style insurance model where a single insurer covers the vehicle regardless of driver, victims are compensated directly, and insurers subrogate against manufacturers if software is at fault. This system, the author argues, would reduce transaction costs and better deter accidents than product liability lawsuits.
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