Drivers of company vehicles who get involved in vehicle accidents can held liable together with their employers when the accident results in injury or harm to other persons.

Under general negligence theories and “respondeat superior”, employers and their employees can be held liable for accidents caused by their employees during the course of their duty and while operating company vehicles.

This concept in motor vehicle liability can be applied in the recent case involving Google Inc and one of the automated vehicles.

According to reports, Google has admitted that one of their automated vehicles got involved in an accident but denied that the car was in automated mode, but instead being driven by a human.

The company however explained that under their rules, self-driving cars must legally have a human at the wheel to assume control of the vehicle if anything goes wrong.

But during the time of the accident, the car was in manual mode, the company said.
Despite all this, if the accident results in injuries or property damage, the company can be held liable for it – whether or not the car is in automated or manual mode.