Self-driving car accident lawsuits are being been filed against Tesla, Waymo, and other robotaxis for people who were injured or killed by driverless cars.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Self-Driving Car Accident cases in all 50 states. If you were injured or a loved one died in a self-driving car accident, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Car Accident Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
What is the Problem?
Self-driving car accidents are becoming more common as big tech companies experiment with robotaxis and other driverless, fully-autonomous vehicles in Texas, California, Arizona, and beyond.
Tragically, some of these accidents involve serious injuries and wrongful deaths. There are also concerning safety issues behind fully-driverless robotaxis, which have been caught wrong-way driving, speeding, stopping in the road, and crashing.
Are Self-Driving Cars Safe?
Self-Driving Car Companies in the U.S.
The top self-driving car companies in the U.S. include:
- Waymo (Google / Alphabet)
- Tesla Robotaxi (also the Tesla Cybercab and Tesla Robovan)
- Zoox (owned by Amazon)
- Volkswagen ID Buzz
- Aurora Innovation (U.S. company developing self-driving trucks, robotaxis, and other vehicles)
- May Mobility (expected to begin testing in Texas in 2025)
- Pony.ai (Chinese self-driving car company testing driverless robotaxis on public roads in California and Arizona, USA)
- And more
$8 Million Settlement in Robotaxi Lawsuit for Pedestrian
Cruise taxis started offering public rides in 2022 in cities like Austin, TX, and San Francisco, CA. There were some serious accidents early on, including a highly-publicized self-driving car accident in San Francisco in which a Cruise robotaxi hit a woman and dragged her 20 feet. She suffered severe leg injuries, and GM ended up paying an $8 million settlement to resolve her lawsuit in August 2024.
Tesla Accident Lawsuits
Tesla is facing a flood of lawsuits over self-driving car accidents, with many involving Tesla Autopilot or Full-Self Driving (FSD) features.
Lawsuits generally accuse Tesla of misrepresenting the safety and functionality of its self-driving car technology. Tragically, many cases involve wrongful deaths, including pedestrian deaths, Tesla drivers who died while using Autopilot. There are also many examples of drivers who were hit by Teslas in self-driving mode, resulting in severe injuries.
NHTSA Investigates Self-Driving Tesla Accidents
The NHTSA is investigating self-driving car accidents involving Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (FSD) software, including accidents where FSD was being used in low-visibility conditions like sun glare or fog. The NHTSA is also investigating self-driving car accidents involving Smart Summon, a remote-driving feature.
Self-Driving Uber Kills Pedestrian in Arizona
Uber purchased the self-driving truck startup Otto in 2016 and developed its own self-driving cars, but ended the project after a deadly accident in 2018 — the first time a self-driving car killed a pedestrian. The accident occurred at night in Tempe, Arizona, when a self-driving Uber hit and killed Elaine Herzberg, 49, as she walked across the street outside of a crosswalk. The “safety driver” was watching videos on her phone, and pleaded guilty in 2023.
Uber Pays Robotaxi Lawsuit Settlement to Waymo
Uber has also been accused of trying to steal self-driving car technology from Waymo, and ended up paying a $245 million settlement to resolve a trade-secret lawsuit with Google / Alphabet in February 2018. Uber then pivoted to partnerships, allowing other self-driving car companies to offer rides through the Uber app.
Uber Partners With Self-Driving Car Companies
Uber has partnerships with several self-driving car companies. For example, Waymo is only available on Uber in cities like Austin, TX, and Atlanta, GA. In April 2024, Uber and Waymo partnered to launch a self-driving delivery service for Uber Eats orders in some cities in Arizona.
In May 2025, Uber announced several new robotaxi partnerships, including Volkswagen ID Buzz, Amazon Zoox, May Mobility, and Momenta (only in Europe). Uber also explored buying Pony AI, a Chinese-based robotaxi company.
May Mobility
The self-driving car startup May Mobility (BMW / Toyota), which plans to launch a ride-hailing service in Arlington, Texas by the end of 2025 using Toyota Sienna minivans. The first deployment will have onboard safety drivers, before transitioning to driverless vans.
Volkswagen ID Buzz
Volkswagen ID Buzz is a fully-autonomous robotaxi-van service that will begin testing on U.S. city streets in 2025 with human “safety drivers,” and then start offering driverless rides in 2026 to people in Los Angeles, CA, and Austin, TX, in partnership with Uber.
Apple Car / Project Titan (Project Canceled in 2024)
Not all self-driving car projects have been successful. One example is Apple, one of the richest tech companies in the world, which spent a decade working on the “Apple Car,” also known as Project Titan, and abruptly canceled the project in February 2024 after briefly testing it in California.
GM / Cruise (Project Canceled in 2024)
Cruise is a self-driving car company that was acquired by General Motors (GM) in 2016. Cruise robotaxis were controversial when they launched in San Francisco, and after several high-profile safety incidents and accidents, GM abandoned the Cruise robotaxi project December 2024 after investing over $10 billion into the company.
What Do Self-Driving Car Lawsuits Claim?
Lawsuits for self-driving car accidents can be very complex. Unlike a traditional car accident, these cases may involve robotaxis, experimental test-vehicles, distracted “safety drivers,” faulty software, defective sensors, and technology that does not actually drive safely.
Who Can File a Lawsuit?
There are also a wide range of people who might be injured or killed in an accident involving a self-driving car, including:
- Pedestrians
- Bicyclists
- Other drivers and passengers
- Children crossing in front of a school bus
- Emergency workers at an accident scene
- Construction workers
- And many more
How Can a Lawsuit Help?
If you were injured in an accident involving a self-driving car or robotaxi, you could be eligible to seek justice through a lawsuit. You could receive compensation for your injury, pain and suffering, medical bills, lost income, wrongful death of a loved one, and more.
Do I Have a Self-Driving Car Accident Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Self-Driving Car Accident cases in all 50 states. If you were injured or a loved one died in a self-driving car accident, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Car Accident Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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