The Expansion of Driverless Truck Corridors in Texas: Who’s at Fault if an Accident Occurs?

Lawmakers in Texas have enacted regulations encouraging transportation companies to use our state’s roads as testing grounds for new driverless technologies. This includes autonomous trucks and robo-taxis. In addition to the friendly regulatory environment, our state’s existing transportation networks and weather also apparently make it a good testing ground.

While the ability to move people and freight in new ways is an exciting prospect, it is also a worrisome prospect. The testing process is based on the concept of learning from failures. And even proven technologies can break down. So what happens when something malfunctions and an autonomous car or truck causes a collision? Who is at fault? How can accident victims protect themselves?

These questions are important not only for collisions involving driverless vehicles but also for collisions involving vehicles with driver-assistance features, such as adaptive cruise control. When tech fails, and someone gets hurt, who is liable?

Autonomous Freight Corridors

The trucking industry does not expect to turn everything over to automation immediately. They are starting by testing technologies on specific freight corridors. The stretch of I-45 between Houston and Dallas was one of the first test routes chosen, in part because nearly half of all the truck freight moved in the state travels along that corridor. Aurora Innovation began regular driverless hauls between Houston and Dallas starting in the spring of 2025. 

The self-driving systems developed by this and other companies are seen as a way to address driver shortages in the trucking industry, which are expected to worsen. Some of the corridors now being tested include the route from Fort Worth to El Paso, which is a long stretch of highway that human drivers cannot easily cover in a single shift. Federal law sets limits on the number of hours a driver can perform critical tasks without taking an “overnight” rest break. As of right now, driverless systems have no such limitations.

Other driverless operations include Swedish truck company Einride testing autonomous trucks on Texas 130 between San Antonio and Austin. These distinctive vehicles have no cab and look like a space-age cargo container on wheels. By contrast, Aurora’s self-driving trucks look virtually the same as traditional tractor-trailers. The CEO of the company rode in the back seat on the first trip.

In addition to autonomous freight corridors, which include routes between Dallas and Laredo and from Fort Worth to Phoenix, the Texas Department of Transportation has established connected freight corridors. In these areas, technology is being tested that enables cars, trucks, buses, trains, and even infrastructure components to communicate automatically. These technologies provide notifications of hazards and congestion.

Technology That Replaces Driver’s Judgement with Automation

While fully automated vehicles do not yet surround us completely, a large percentage of cars and trucks on the roads around Houston incorporate components that delegate some driving tasks to automated systems. Features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring use a variety of sensors and cameras to monitor conditions around the vehicle. These systems sometimes only provide an alert to the driver, but in other cases, they automatically take corrective action on the driver’s behalf.

Drivers of cars and trucks can be prone to relying on these technologies and to becoming less vigilant about their surroundings and taking corrective action promptly when conditions change. When drivers expect their vehicle to take over these tasks, a failure of the technology can lead to a serious accident, either between vehicles or between a motorist and a pedestrian or bicyclist.

Who is Liable When Technology Fails?

In a traditional car accident case, the attorneys involved investigate to determine how someone involved has acted negligently. When technological problems could be the cause of an accident, attorneys need to investigate not only the possibility of negligence but also whether defects in technological components contributed to it. This invokes various legal theories of recovery under product liability law.

Liability for Defective Products

Product liability laws hold manufacturers and others accountable when a product is defective. The problem could be that the product was designed in a way that it could never operate safely. Or the defect could involve a mistake made during the production or assembly of the product or one of its components. 

Products can also be considered defective legally if they have been labeled or marketed improperly. For instance, if instructions for safe operation are missing or incomplete, or if the product is depicted being used in an unsafe manner, then that can be considered a marketing defect.

If a truck or car accident was caused by a failure in automation technology, then the manufacturer of the truck or of one of its component parts could be held liable. The developer of the software that is used to direct the truck’s functions could also be liable. Additionally, liability could extend to third parties who provide cloud-based navigation, high-definition mapping, or other services.

Liability for Negligence

If someone connected with the truck’s operation acted irresponsibly, that individual or company could be liable for negligence. For instance, if the truck manufacturer recommended that the vehicle be inspected or serviced at specific intervals and the owner failed to do so, the owner could be liable if that failure caused the accident. Other parties may also be partially liable for negligence, such as other drivers, the owner of a vehicle that dropped debris on the road, or even the person seeking recovery for the accident.

As Vehicles Get More Complicated, So Do Accident Cases

The increasing level of technology involved in vehicles on our roads makes it more challenging than ever to determine the factors that caused a collision and the parties that could be held responsible. Uncovering and presenting evidence to establish liability in these situations requires diligent effort and the ability to stand up to manufacturers and trucking companies who rely on teams of attorneys to protect them from liability.

At DeKeyzer Law, we built our reputation on our success in fighting against trucking companies to secure full compensation for accident victims. As technology evolves, we stay on top of developments so we can make every effective argument for recovery. For a free consultation to discuss what may be possible in your case, call us at 713-904-4004 or contact us online today.