When self-driving cars cause an accident, you can still fight for compensation for medical bills, lost wages, as well as pain and suffering. Generally speaking, there are many parties that can be considered guilty in this type of crash. Human Error Even though autonomous vehicles usually operate by themselves, there are still human drivers that can control them. Normally, there is a backup driver who participates in a test drive. The investigation has to verify if both of them did everything they could to prevent an automobile accident from occurring. If the driver didn't pay enough attention or misused the technology when behind the wheel, then they can be considered an at-fault driver. Vehicle Malfunction Even though technology is progressing all the time, a malfunction can still happen. As in a normal car, the brakes can go bad, or something can stop working or work improperly. The vehicle itself could be designed improperly or have some defects that were missed by the company that produces it. If this was the reason for the collision, the manufacturer could be held responsible for the auto accident. Government Oversight To use self-driving cars, you need to have special permission from a government regulatory agency. When they allow test drives of autonomous vehicles and an accident happens, an investigation has to verify if the testing exposed people to the risk of harm.