The Dilemma of Liability in an Accident Involving a Driverless Car

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The world of motoring and transportation has been changed forever with the emergence of technology that would make autonomous driving a reality. In just a matter of years, driverless cars may be roaming around on the major thoroughfares in the United States.

Such technology would help address the issue of accidents on the road. In fact, this could save thousands of lives on an annual basis. To begin with, human error accounts for about 90 percent of fatal car crashes in the United States.

The slow yet steady development of driverless cars also comes with the needed legislation on both federal and state levels that would incorporate these vehicles into the road. In fact, a few states have adopted laws that would determine the needed safety and performance regulations that would allow driverless cars to be tested and later on be operated on their state roads and highways. The first one was the State of Nevada, followed by California, which happened a few months ago last year.

Despite the promise of this new advancement in both technology and transportation, there are certain issues that need to be addressed, especially with regard to the legal issues. One of them is liability in a car crash. Simply put, who’s to blame when a driverless car crashes into a motorist or to a property?

Legal experts such as Los Angeles personal injury attorneys know that accidents on the road—collisions, hit-and-runs, damage to property—are often caused by negligence. When this happens and the plaintiff who was injured in the crash filed a claim against the liable party, the latter may be forced to pay compensation for the damages suffered of the former.

As it is, there’s always a legal risk when accidents occur on driverless cars, and the automobile industry players are aware of it. For Dan Gage of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, they “have great exposure as an industry in terms of product liability.” He also went to say that “most of us (automakers) suspect that there will always be someone in that driver’s seat.”

International Women’s Day: “Gaining Momentum” on Gender Equality

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Come March 8 and throughout this month, the whole world will celebrate International Women’s Day. Ever since it was established nearly a century ago, the observance of this yearly event has been focused on the empowerment of women, in which respect, appreciation and love towards them are highly regarded.

As it is with other celebratory events, the International Women’s Day is often bound by themes that are political and social in structure. Global institutions, from organizations, governments, to women’s groups, often have their own themes each year with regard to the struggle of women and other relevant issues on both the global and local levels.

Recent themes celebrate the vital achievements that women garnered amidst the dominance of men within the political, social, and economic strata. In fact, the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.

Women and gender equality

On a related note, the United Nations (UN) has its own theme for this year, and that is A Promise is a Promise: Time for Action to End Violence Against Women. As we all know, the recent news reports of violence against women, physical abuse or otherwise, have been on the rise. Despite the measures to solve such issues, institutions have been aggressively promoting women’s rights in all aspects of society, letting the world know of the daily struggles and hardships that they strive to do just to be recognized equally.

Looking at the theme for the upcoming International Women’s Day, addressing the issues with regard to equal rights of women have been, so to speak, gaining momentum. Current institutions have been instrumental in keeping up with the times as regards to this common goal. As we all know, women nowadays have become catalysts for change, continuing the ongoing fight to sustain what their predecessors have fought for.

Changes in the employment scene

One of the most pressing issues that are often tackled during this time of year as regards to women and their rights is in the realm of employment. As it is, discrimination and harassment have become even more and more rampant despite employment and labor laws. In most, if not all, cases of such unfair treatment often target women.

The common challenges that they face in employment include getting sexually harassed by their employers and receiving less than the amount of pay and benefits than their male counterparts. Any employment decisions that are motivated by gender or sex and degrade the value of women are deemed unfair and wrong in the eyes of the law.

Thankfully, agencies on the federal level such as the EEOC, as well as those on the state level, have been pursuing the rights of aggrieved women by going after employers that discriminate against them.

Incidentally, Los Angeles employment lawyers and other legal experts hope that giving importance to women and their accomplishments shouldn’t be made on one day only. People must realize the impact of women in the society, and recognize that they, too, are gaining momentum in terms of achieving and sustaining equal rights.

The Big Fight against DUI Preventing Accidents Caused by Drunk Drivers

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The responsibility that comes with driving your vehicle
Driving a vehicle entails a lot of responsibility. Most people think that they are the only ones that will be affected should an accident happen because of their recklessness. Little did they know that these mishaps can also affect the lives of others on the road.

For one, drunk driving or driving under the influence of alcohol or any other controlled and prohibited substance has been one of the major causes of vehicular accidents in the country. In California alone, thousand of crashes happen every year that causes millions of damage to property, gets thousands of people either injured or dead.

The government’s campaign to stop DUI
That is why the government, through the Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as well as other law-enforcement agencies like the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has been doubling their efforts in try to put a stop to senseless road accidents from happening. These efforts seem to be paying off quit well.

Recent DUI apprehensions
Just recently, controversial rapper Bobby Brown has been arrested yet again and sentence to 55 days in jail and four years of summary of probation for being caught driving under the influence of alcohol. This is his latest of a series of the government’s drunk driving arrests over the years. Catching a prominent personality is one major boost in raising awareness about the government’s campaign to put a stop to drunk driving.

Brown is just one of the many celebrities that were apprehended and jailed due to driving under the influence of alcohol or any controlled or banned substances. Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and others have also been apprehended for the same offenses.

This is just the beginning
The government’s intensified campaign against drunk driving is just one of the many efforts that are put in place to help bring down the number of road accidents in the country. A Los angeles injury lawyer lauded this move by the government as he believes that by getting drunk or drugged people off the steering wheel, there would be lesser chances of accidents happening, making our roads safer for everybody. Many people and organizations are supporting this effort by the government by helping organize events to help reach out a much people as possible. This show that everybody, celebrity or not will be dealth with accordingly depending on their offenses.