If you were injured by a Waymo driverless taxi in the San Francisco area, contact us today for a free consultation. Waymo’s track record has been very good thus far. However, people can sustain injuries through no fault of their own or due to Waymo’s negligence at any time.
Do I really need a lawyer?
It depends. During your free consultation we will let you know what your options are. If we believe we can improve the outcome of your case, we will offer our services to you. Sometimes accidents involve minor scrapes and bruises. In those cases, you may not need an attorney. However, if a crash resulted in a serious injury or a fatality, it is always a good idea to speak with an experienced, local attorney.
Are driverless taxis legal in San Francisco?
Waymo has already been granted approval by the California Public Utilities Commission to charge for rides. However, there must be a person acting as a safety measure behind the car’s steering wheel.
The company also has a rider support team on call at the touch of a button. Riders can access the team using an in-car screen or through the riders’ app. Overall, the team can help with any questions that riders might have while in the vehicles.
What’s next?
The next stop for Waymo is the commercial permit process involving both the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Motor Vehicles. Although a driverless car competitor already has a permit to operate in San Francisco at night, Waymo still needs a permit to operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
At this point in time, Waymo vehicles are only available to Google and Waymo employees, but the company is rapidly expanding its testing of the vehicles. Waymo has already successfully implemented its “Early Rider” program for employee use. Now, it’s expanding on the Early Rider testing with its new “Trusted Tester” program in the city.
Some of the Trusted Tester vehicles in San Francisco are award winning all-electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs that come with the fifth generation of its self-driving system called the Waymo Driver. The company hasn’t said how many of those vehicles it would put on the road. Trusted Testers will enroll in a waitlist, and upon approval, they’ll need to sign off on a non-disclosure agreement to access the service. When Waymo is fully licensed, regular customers will be able to comment publicly on the Waymo service sometime in the future.
As of May 2022, Waymo has at least 300 autonomous vehicles on the road in downtown San Francisco and Google’s corporate campus in Mountain View. With more than 2.3 million miles driven in 2021, it more than tripled the miles that its vehicles ran in 2020. The company is confident that its vehicles can provide safe, efficient and secure transportation services in densely populated areas. Prepare yourself. They’re coming. Hopefully, they won’t be coming at you.
Contact a San Francisco Waymo Accident Lawyer today
Always contact an attorney after any crash resulting in a serious injury or a death. An experienced personal injury attorney may be able to significantly improve the outcome of your case. Contact us today for a free consultation and case evaluation.