AI-driven vehicles raise serious legal questions — Texas law allows injury victims to pursue claims against manufacturers, developers, and operators when technology causes harm.
As autonomous vehicles and AI-driven safety systems become more common, many Texans are asking:
If the car’s computer makes the mistake — can I still sue?
In Texas, the answer is yes — but you don’t sue “the AI.” Instead, you sue the real people or companies behind it: the vehicle maker, AI/software developer, distributor, or others in the supply chain. Under state law, AI-related crashes can be treated as traditional product-liability or negligence claims.
✅ Why Texas Law Makes It Possible
The Legal Framework: Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code — Chapter 82
Texas governs product-liability lawsuits under Chapter 82 of the Code. A “products liability action” can be based on strict tort liability, negligence, breach of warranty, misrepresentation, or any combination.
That means even if the manufacturer or developer wasn’t negligent in a traditional sense, they can still be held liable if the product (e.g., a self-driving system) was defective and caused injury.
What “Defective” Means — Design, Manufacturing, or Warning Defects
Under Texas product-liability law, a product may be defective because of:
- Design defects — when the design itself is unreasonably dangerous (even if built as intended).
- Manufacturing defects — when something went wrong during production or assembly.
- Marketing / Warning defects (“Failure to Warn”) — when the product lacks adequate instructions or warnings about hazards or limitations (for example, if a self-driving feature requires constant human monitoring, but the user manual underplays that).
That means a defective AI-based driving system — whether flawed design, poor manufacture, or inadequate warnings — could trigger liability under Texas law.
Strict Liability — Lower Burden of Proof
Because Texas recognizes strict liability in many defective-product cases, you may not need to show negligence. Instead, you must show the product was defective, it was defective when it left the manufacturer, and the defect caused your injury. That can make it easier to pursue a claim, which is crucial when dealing with complex technology like AI.
Statute of Limitations & Statute of Repose
In Texas, you generally must file a product-liability lawsuit within two years of the date you were injured (or discovered the injury). But there’s also a statute of repose: a claimant must bring a products liability action no later than 15 years after the product’s sale (with exceptions).
If you delay too long — even if the defect only just manifested — you may lose your right to sue.
🚗 What This Means for AI-Related Car Crashes
When you’re dealing with a car crash involving AI or autonomous driving systems, it’s not simply another auto-accident claim. These cases intersect with product liability — and may even raise novel questions about software, design, data, and system updates.
Potential claims might include:
- A design-defect claim if the AI’s logic or control system is inherently unsafe.
- A manufacturing-defect claim if a flaw occurred during construction or assembly (hardware or software).
- A failure-to-warn claim if the manufacturer, developer, or automaker failed to clearly explain the limits of autonomy or the need for human supervision.
- A negligence claim if the company ignored known defects or failed to test properly.
- Even a cybersecurity/loss-of-control claim, if misuse, hacking, or software corruption caused the crash.
Because these are often “black-box” technologies, with many potential responsible parties (manufacturer, software developer, installer, potentially updater or fleet operator), liability can be complex — but it exists under Texas law.
🔎 Why Hiring a Skilled Texas Personal Injury Lawyer Matters
- Identifying the correct defendant(s): Lawsuits may involve multiple parties — automaker, hardware supplier, software developer, installer.
- Preserving evidence quickly: Software logs, event-data recorder outputs, AI-system telemetry and error reports can vanish or be overwritten in hours or days.
- Proving defect and causation: You’ll likely need engineering, automotive, and AI experts to show how the system malfunctioned, why it was defective, and how that caused your crash/injury.
- Accounting for deadlines: With the two-year limitation and 15-year repose on product liability claims, timing is critical.
These aren’t average crash cases — treat them like complex product-liability and corporate-defect cases from the start.
✳️ What To Do If You’ve Been Injured by an AI-Equipped Vehicle in Texas
- Seek medical treatment immediately. Your health and safety come first — but also, prompt treatment helps create a record of injury.
- Preserve as much evidence as possible. Don’t delete or reset vehicle or device data. Photograph damage, take statements, and record everything.
- Report the crash and request all data — including software/black-box logs, event history, maintenance records, update logs, AI-system version info.
- Contact an experienced Texas personal injury / product liability attorney — ideally with knowledge of automotive technology and AI-based litigation.
- Act fast. Don’t wait until the statute of limitations is about to expire before contacting counsel.
🔹 Why This Matters for Fort Worth and All of Texas
As more automakers — and even rideshare, delivery, and trucking companies — deploy self-driving or semi-autonomous vehicles on Texas roads, crashes involving AI are likely to rise. That makes it more important than ever for Texans injured by these systems to know their rights under the law.
With the legal tools provided by Chapter 82 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code — including strict liability for defective products — victims of AI-related crashes can still demand accountability and fair compensation.
Speak With a Texas AI Injury Lawyer Today — Free Case Evaluation
When powerful technology causes harm, you deserve powerful legal representation.
If you or someone you love was injured in a crash involving autonomous technology, driver-assistance systems, or AI-controlled vehicles, do not assume the case is too complex or unwinnable. These matters demand immediate legal attention, strategic investigation, and preservation of critical digital evidence before it disappears.
At Howard Lotspeich Alexander & Williams, PLLC (HLAW), we understand how to confront deep-pocketed manufacturers, software developers, and corporate insurers. We don’t let technology shield negligence. We demand accountability.
Our team will help you determine:
- Whether AI failure contributed to your crash
- Which parties may be legally responsible
- What compensation you may be entitled to pursue
- How to preserve the evidence necessary to protect your case
There is no cost to speak with us, and no obligation to move forward.
📞 Call today to schedule your free case evaluation (817-993-9249)
💻 Or submit your case online for confidential review
Deadlines apply. Evidence fades. Corporations move fast.
You should too.
