Just weeks after driverless rideshare vehicles hit Atlanta streets, trial lawyers are already laying the groundwork for costly lawsuits. Despite no major incidents and not a single case filed in Georgia, some lawyers are calling for action, not from regulators or safety officials, but from the courtroom. As reported by Law.com: 

“It is critically important that lawyers spot the potential for these cases and bring them when possible,” one Georgia personal injury attorney told the Daily Report, warning that members of the public are “guinea pigs” for innovation.

Make no mistake, these trial lawyers are not motivated by safety. This is simply about trial lawyers finding a new avenue to pursue expensive product liability claims, and pressure companies into expensive settlements – raising costs for consumers:

“Even if an injured victim could bring ordinary negligence claims… manufacturers may try to treat and defend the case as if it were a product liability case, which could drive up litigation costs exponentially.”

This is a familiar pattern for billboard attorneys. Innovation gets targeted, litigation explodes, and consumers end up footing the bill, whether it’s through higher premiums, fewer choices, or slower progress. We’ve seen it before in trucking. We’re seeing it now with driverless technology.

The real danger here isn’t the tech – it’s a legal system being twisted to punish innovation. Trial lawyers have found their next mark. Will policymakers step in before it’s too late?