I wonder if the first true autonomous cars will be in Europe or somewhere less litigious, and not in Arizona as most people seem to be expecting. Maybe international European or interstate Australian trucking will be the first success (or not success... )
If I get into a car accident, my insurance company gets the fun job of litigating. Either I or the other driver will be found liable.
If the car was driving, however, and it makes a mistake then the manufacturer could be held liable. And since car manufacturers have deep pockets, you can bet they'll get sued.
This is why manufacturers are pursuing perfection. Not because of a moral obligation, rather, a financial one.