Waymo® Lawsuit | Waymo Lawyer, Attorney

Waymo taxis are self-driving cars without safety drivers that have been involved in car accidents and illegal traffic violations.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Waymo injury cases in all 50 states. If you were injured by a Waymo taxi or self-driving car, 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 Waymo?

Waymo started as the Self-Driving Car project at Google in 2009. In 2016, the project was officially named Waymo, and spun off as an independent business under Alphabet, the parent company of Google.

Waymo Recalls 1,200 Self-Driving Taxis for Faulty Software Causing Crashes

In May 2025, Waymo recalled about 1,200 self-driving taxis due to faulty software that was leading to crashes into chains, gates, and other roadway barriers.

What is the Problem?

As self-driving car companies like Waymo rapidly expand their experimental taxis on city streets across the U.S., there is a risk that innocent people will be injured or killed in accidents.

Waymo accidents could involve people in many different scenarios, such as:

People in other vehicles (not at fault)
Waymo passengers
Construction workers
Pedestrians
Bicyclists
Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, etc.
Emergency vehicles
And more

Waymo Rapidly Expanding to U.S. Cities Nationwide

Waymo launched in Phoenix, Arizona, in October 2020, becoming the first company in the U.S. to offer a public ride-hailing service (similar to Uber or Lyft), but using fully-autonomous cars without safety drivers. Since then, Waymo has steadily expanded to other cities. By June 2025, around 1,500 Waymo taxis were completing over 250,000 paid rides and driving over 2 million miles every week.

Robotaxi vs. Waymo

Waymo is competing with other self-driving car companies, including the Tesla Robotaxi. But unlike the Tesla Robotaxi, which relies on camera-based sensors to see the roadway, Waymo uses a combination of data from cameras, LiDAR and RADAR sensors, and external audio receivers (EARs) to detect obstacles.

What Cities Is Waymo Available In?

Waymo is available (or is planning to launch) in these U.S. cities:

Phoenix, Arizona (2020)
San Francisco, California (2024)
Los Angeles, California (2024)
Austin, Texas (2025)
Atlanta, Georgia (2025)
Washington D.C. (expected to launch in 2026)
Miami, Florida (expected to launch in 2026)
New York City (Waymo has applied for a permit to test vehicles with safety drivers, as required by New York state law)

Waymo Lawsuit Filed by Bicyclist Doored by Passenger

In June 2025, one of the first Waymo lawsuits was filed by a bicyclist who was severely injured when she was “doored” by a passenger in a Waymo.

The cyclist said two Waymos parked illegally in the bike lane to drop off passengers. As she rode by the first Waymo, a passenger opened a rear door and hit her. The crash threw her into a second Waymo, which had also stopped in the bike lane.

The cyclist suffered a brain injury, soft-tissue damage, and spinal injuries, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The passengers were no help. “They shrugged and left the scene after a few minutes,” she said. Other witnesses called 911 as she lay injured on the ground.

Other Examples of Waymo Safety Incidents

Here are a few other examples of safety incidents involving Waymo:

In July 2024, a police officer in Arizona pulled over a Waymo for driving into the oncoming lane in a construction zone. Police also said the Waymo also drove through a red light and “freaked out” before pulling over.
Waymo unexpectedly stopped in the road, causing a rear-end collision. This report also includes a bicyclist who nearly crashed when a Waymo failed to yield.
In June 2025, two teenagers in a Waymo were wounded in a shooting in Santa Monica, California
In May 2025, Waymo vehicles set on fire by anti-ICE protesters in Los Angeles, California

Self-Driving Car Kills Pedestrian in Arizona

Arizona has been a popular testing-ground for self-driving cars because the driving conditions are generally good: sunny weather, lack of snow, wide street lanes, and mostly well-marked roads.

Arizona was also the first state where an experimental self-driving Uber killed a pedestrian in March 2018. The woman, Elaine Herzberg, was hit at night as she walked with her bicycle across the street outside of a crosswalk. Uber ended its self-driving car project after her death, but has recently partnered with Waymo.

Waymo and Uber Partner Up to Expand Robotaxi Services

Uber abandoned its own self-driving car project and pivoted to partnerships, after an ugly trade-secret dispute ended in Uber paying a $245 million lawsuit settlement to Waymo,

Waymo is currently available on the Uber app in cities like Atlanta, Georgia and Austin, Texas, meaning that people can only get a Waymo taxi through the Uber app in these cities.

Uber will let customers choose to request a car with a human driver if they do not want to take a Waymo, by selecting “Autonomous Vehicle” (AV) preferences.

Waymo has also developed its own app, called Waymo One, but this will not be operational in cities where Waymo and Uber are partners.

Self-Driving Car Lawsuits

Self-driving car accidents have raised safety concerns for the general public, as well as legal concerns for people who are inevitably injured.

There is no excuse for putting profits ahead of public safety — and yet tech companies are currently experimenting with this revolutionary new self-driving car technology on public streets in cities nationwide.

How Can a Lawsuit Help?

If you were injured by a Waymo taxi (or any other type of self-driving robotaxi), our lawyers may be able to help you seek justice. Depending on your case, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against Waymo.

Lawsuits have already been filed by people who were injured in crashes with self-driving taxis. These lawsuits generally claim that the victim’s injuries were caused by dangerously defective technology.

Do I Have a Waymo Lawsuit?

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Waymo Lawsuit