Posted on July 13, 2026 - by Burnetti, P.A.
A self-driving car accident raises questions that traditional crash cases simply do not. When no human hand is on the wheel, figuring out who is legally responsible becomes far more complicated than it looks. Injured victims in Orlando and across Florida deserve clear answers, not uncertainty.
Burnetti, P.A. has represented car accident victims throughout Central Florida for decades, and our attorneys understand how rapidly evolving technology is reshaping the legal landscape for people hurt in these crashes. The liability questions are new, but the commitment to fighting for injured victims is not.
Autonomous vehicles are no longer a distant concept. They share Orlando roads right now, and crash data is already building. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Standing General Order on crash reporting, manufacturers and operators of automated driving systems are required to report crashes to federal regulators. Hundreds of incidents involving autonomous or partially automated systems have been documented nationwide, and that number grows as deployment expands.
Florida ranks among the most active states for autonomous vehicle testing. That activity concentrates risk on roads like I-4, SR-528, and the Orange Blossom Trail corridor around Orlando, where mechanical failures, sensor errors, and software malfunctions can put innocent people in serious danger.
Liability in a self-driving car accident does not automatically fall on one party. Several different defendants may share responsibility depending on what caused the crash, and identifying all of them is essential to pursuing full compensation.
The vehicle manufacturer is a primary target when a defect in the autonomous system causes the collision. If the software misreads a traffic signal, fails to detect a pedestrian, or makes an incorrect driving decision, the company that designed and built that system may be liable under Florida product liability law.
The technology developer is a separate potential defendant when the artificial intelligence or sensor software was designed by a third party and licensed to the automaker. In those cases, the software company carries its own legal exposure independent of the manufacturer.
A human operator or fleet company may also share liability when the vehicle was being monitored remotely or deployed commercially. Rideshare and delivery operators using autonomous fleets carry a duty to maintain safe systems and respond appropriately when automation fails. Negligent oversight can be just as actionable as a defective component.
Finally, another driver can still be at fault. If a human-operated vehicle cut off, tailgated, or collided with an autonomous car in a way that triggered the crash, traditional negligence principles apply fully to that driver. Our attorneys evaluate every angle to identify all responsible parties and pursue the full recovery our clients deserve after a crash.
Florida was one of the first states to address autonomous vehicles through legislation. Under Florida Statute § 316.85, autonomous vehicles are permitted to operate on public roads, and the legal operator of the vehicle, which may be defined as the automated driving system itself rather than a human occupant, holds responsibility for compliance with traffic laws during every trip.
This distinction matters enormously in a self-driving car accident claim. When no human driver is legally considered the operator, liability shifts to the entity that deployed or manufactured the vehicle. Florida law also requires that autonomous vehicles carry insurance, meaning injured victims have a clear path to compensation even when no human was controlling the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Florida’s comparative fault rule adds another layer to every claim. If an injured victim is found partially responsible, their recovery is reduced by their percentage of fault. Understanding how fault is allocated across multiple defendants, including manufacturers, operators, and other drivers, is critical to protecting the full value of a claim in Orange County courts.
Please read: What Orlando Tourists Should Know About Florida’s New Car Accident Laws
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Building a case after a self-driving car accident is not the same as investigating a standard rear-end collision on Colonial Drive. The evidence is different, the defendants are better resourced, and the legal theories are still being tested in courts across the country.
Data from the vehicle itself is central to any autonomous vehicle case. These cars generate enormous volumes of sensor data, GPS logs, camera footage, and system event records. Accessing that data requires prompt legal action because manufacturers are not obligated to preserve it indefinitely. Filing a spoliation letter or litigation hold early in the process can be the difference between a strong case and a significantly weaker one.
Expert witnesses are almost always necessary. Reconstructing what an autonomous system did and why requires engineers who understand both the technology and its failure modes. These cases frequently involve product liability theories, which carry different pleading and proof requirements than standard negligence claims.
Insurance coverage disputes are common as well. Manufacturers, technology developers, and fleet operators each carry separate layers of coverage with complex priority rules that insurers exploit to delay or reduce payouts. An experienced attorney knows how to cut through those disputes, identify all available insurance, and hold the right parties accountable without delay.
If you or a family member was hurt in a self-driving car accident in Orlando, do not wait to get legal help. Evidence disappears quickly, and the companies behind autonomous vehicles have legal teams working immediately after every crash.
Burnetti, P.A. takes these cases on a contingency basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Call us today at (800) 287-6388 to speak with a trusted Orlando car accident attorney about all of your legal options.
Board-Certified Civil Trial Lawyer and founder of Burnetti, P.A., Doug Burnetti has spent his career fighting for the injured across Florida. Known for his courtroom skill and dedication to justice, he leads a firm built on integrity, strength, and results—recognized by Florida Super Lawyers and Martindale-Hubbell® for excellence in trial advocacy. He is also the recipient of the Jerry A. DeVane Award, presented by the Lakeland Bar Association.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney Doug Burnetti, who has more than 31 years of fighting for injured clients across Florida.
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