National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has welcomed the government plans, announced in the Queen’s speech, to position Britain at the forefront of driverless car technology; plans which will mean trials of driverless vehicles introduced on to the UK’s roads.The firm has teams working on how the introduction of the vehicles would impact on many aspects of legislation, including rules affecting the automotive industry, the insurance industry and legal issues around personal injury.
Chris Thorne, partner at Clarke Willmott, said: “The technology of driverless cars is likely to impact on investigating insurance claims. In the past it has relied on evidence from people. These vehicles have the potential to have data recorded that can assist in litigation.”
Philip Edwards, serious injury partner at Clarke Willmott, said: “We believe there are going to be people who are currently disenfranchised from driving who will benefit. They may have cognitive deficits after a brain injury which means they cannot process the multiple stimuli needed to drive a conventional car.
“Perhaps epileptics, or those with early stage dementia – where general functioning is good but driving might be a bad idea, will be allowed to use them. Or those with a physical disability, where driving would be difficult or impossible or require expensive adaptations, will suddenly be empowered. The potential benefits for people who have survived serious injury or are otherwise disabled should be a key factor in the Government’s thinking going forward.”
David Stedman, Clarke Willmott solicitor with experience of dealing with disputes in the automotive industry, said: “This has the potential to change the face of the motor industry and that will mean changing the contractual arrangements between dealers, manufacturers and the public.”
The same Clarke Willmott teams are also involved in work to assess the impact of other fast-growth commercial and consumer technologies, such as drones.
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