# Research article: AI, autonomous vehicles and motor insurance

URL: https://insurancelawestonia.ee/blog/2024-07-01-research-ai-autonomous-vehicles-liability/
Author: Dr Olavi-Jüri Luik, Partner, Head of Insurance Law, attorney at law (Advokaadibüroo WIDEN OÜ)

> Kinkar and Luik, Juridica 2024/7, and Luik and Kinkar, Juridica International 2025: will insurance replace tort law for autonomous vehicles?

> **Articles:**
>
> R. Kinkar, O.-J. Luik, "Tehisaru ja lepinguväline vastutus: kas kindlustussüsteem asendab tulevikus deliktisüsteemi? Autonoomsete sõidukite näide", Juridica 2024/7, pp. 496–508 (in Estonian). [Juridica](https://www.juridica.ee/article.php?uri=2024_7_tehisaru_ja_lepinguv_line_vastutus_kas_kindlustuss_steem_asendab_tulevikus_deliktis_steemi_au) (published 2024)
>
> O.-J. Luik, R. Kinkar, "Artificial Intelligence and Non-Contractual Liability: Will the Insurance System Replace the Tort System in the Future? An example of autonomous vehicles", Juridica International 2025 (34), pp. 71–89. [DOI: 10.12697/JI.2025.34.06](https://doi.org/10.12697/JI.2025.34.06) (published 31 December 2025)

Co-author: Rauno Kinkar. The English article develops the same research for an international readership, so both are covered here.

## Research question

The EU Motor Insurance Directive (MID, Directive 2009/103/EC as amended by Directive (EU) 2021/2118) was designed for human-driven vehicles. The authors ask whether liability arising from fully autonomous vehicles differs, whether wider liability could be covered by another insurance scheme, and whether the EU-wide motor insurance system needs reform.

## Main conclusions

The authors classify vehicles by level of automation and identify new hazards such as software defects and cyberattacks. They examine manufacturer and user liability, the limits of national liability regimes and whether compulsory cyber or producer liability insurance would be workable. The central conclusion of the English article is that separate liability schemes for autonomous technology would fragment the law; existing motor third-party liability insurance should instead be extended to the new risks so that victim protection remains consistent across the EU.

## Relevance for insurers

On this approach the victim claims against the MTPL insurer even where vehicle software caused the accident, and the allocation of liability with the manufacturer is resolved through recourse. See the longer post [AI liability and autonomous vehicles: will insurance replace tort law?](https://insurancelawestonia.ee/blog/2026-11-01-ai-liability-autonomous-vehicles-insurance)

## Related pages

- [MTPL and Green Card claims](https://insurancelawestonia.ee/guides/mtpl-green-card-claims)
- [Subrogation and recovery in Estonia](https://insurancelawestonia.ee/guides/subrogation-recovery-estonia)