The arrival of self-driving big rigs on California highways is reshaping the legal landscape for crash victims, according to Barry P. Goldberg, A Professional Law Corporation, a firm that represents people injured by commercial vehicles along Interstate 8 and State Routes 67 and 125. Under regulations the California DMV adopted on April 28, companies can test autonomous trucks over 10,001 pounds, but each must start with a safety driver behind the wheel and log 500,000 miles per phase before moving to driverless operations. Kodiak AI and Aurora have received testing permits, and on September 22, Kodiak began hauling freight between Fresno and Los Angeles. The Teamsters are challenging the rules in Alameda County Superior Court.
"A self-driving truck doesn't change the basic question of who caused the crash. It changes how many companies may share the answer," said Barry P. Goldberg, founder of the firm and a recognized authority on uninsured and underinsured motorist law in California. "The key evidence lives in the truck's software and sensor logs, and the companies on the other side control those records."
In conventional truck crashes, fault can rest with the driver, the trucking company, the business that loaded the cargo, or the shop that maintained the vehicle. Self-driving trucks add two new layers. During testing, a human safety driver must sit behind the wheel. An operator who fails to take control can share fault with the carrier that employs them. When an automated driving system malfunctions, injured people may pursue a product liability claim against the company that designed it. This means multiple parties—from the safety driver and carrier to the technology company—could be held responsible, making it crucial for victims to identify all potential defendants.
Injured people should note the company names on the truck and contact a lawyer early, so every company involved receives a letter requiring it to keep its records, including software and sensor logs. Whatever happens with the Teamsters' lawsuit, California law still lets them pursue every party that contributed to the crash. The firm's truck accident lawyer in El Cajon, CA, represents clients in these complex cases, helping them navigate the emerging legal terrain where traditional liability rules intersect with autonomous technology.
The implications extend beyond individual crashes. As autonomous trucks become more common, the legal system will need to adapt to determine fault when machines make decisions. For now, victims can rely on existing product liability and negligence laws to seek compensation. The firm emphasizes that early legal intervention is critical to preserve evidence that might otherwise be lost or withheld by the companies operating these vehicles.
