Lawsuits have been filed by people who were hit by a robotaxi and injured, including a woman who was paid at least $8 million to settle a robotaxi lawsuit.
Need a Texas Robotaxi Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you were hit by a robotaxi and injured, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
What is a Robotaxi?
Robotaxis are self-driving vehicles that use cameras, sensors, and on-board computer systems to drive themselves. There are now fleets of robotaxis being tested in cities like San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, and Phoenix, with the goal of expanding robotaxis to cities nationwide.
Robotaxis Experimenting on City Streets in Dallas Texas
In June 2024, the GM-owned robotaxi company Cruise began testing robotaxis in Dallas, Texas with human “safety drivers” behind the wheel, no passengers allowed, and without full autonomous systems engaged.
Texas Will Be Testing Ground for Robotaxi Technology
Texas has embraced robotaxi technology, allowing companies like Waymo, Zoox, Tesla, and Cruise to test robotaxis in cities like Austin, Dallas, and Houston. They will initially require safety drivers.
Uber said it will start testing robotaxis in Austin, Texas in 2025, where passengers will be able to use Uber’s app to summon robotaxis that were built by the self-driving car company Waymo.
In June 2024, the Amazon-owned autonomous car company Zoox began robotaxi testing in Austin, Texas, using a fleet of all-electric, fully-autonomous robotaxi vehicles.
Tesla Cybercab Robotaxis Under Development in Texas
In October 2024, Elon Musk and Tesla unveiled a prototype Cybercab Robotaxi with no steering wheel, no pedals, no driver, and a $30,000 price tag, but he said it will not reach volume production until at least 2026.
Tesla is currently testing Cybercab robotaxis at its Gigafactory in Texas. Elon Musk said he expects to get approval to start testing Full Self-Driving Cybercab Robotaxis on public roads in Texas in 2025, where they will pick up passengers via a ride-hailing app.
What is the Problem?
Robotaxis are advertised as the future of transportation, but this new technology has created serious safety concerns. San Francisco was one of the first cities to allow driverless robotaxi vehicles to experiment on their streets — and soon afterward, an innocent woman nearly died in an accident when a robotaxi hit her in a crosswalk and dragged her.
Robotaxi Lawsuits
Lawsuits have been filed by people who were seriously injured when they were hit by a robotaxi. Our law firm is investigating cases involving these types of robotaxi accidents and injuries, such as:
- Pedestrian injuries
- Bicycle injuries
- Car accidents
- People who were hit by a robotaxi
- Other types of robotaxi accidents
$8 Million Settlement in Robotaxi Lawsuit for Pedestrian Injury
In May 2024, General Motor’s (GM) self-driving robotaxi company Cruise reached an $8 million to $12 million settlement in one of the first robotaxi lawsuits involving a person who was injured.
What Happened in San Francisco?
The robotaxi lawsuit was filed by a woman who was crossing a street in a crosswalk late at night in San Francisco on October 2, 2023. She was struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run accident, thrown over the hood, and hit again by a self-driving robotaxi that had no driver.
Instead of stopping, the robotaxi automatically pulled over to the curb, dragging her 20 feet across the pavement. The vehicle then came to a stop on top of one of her legs as she screamed in pain, and put its hazard lights on. She was pinned under the robotaxi until emergency crews rescued her and took her to the hospital in critical condition.
On October 24, 2023, the California DMV suspended the operating permit for Cruise to deploy driverless robotaxis on public roads in California, citing an “unreasonable risk to public safety” after the accident.
Cruise Pays $2 Million in Fines After Robotaxi Hits Pedestrian
In September 2024, Cruise paid $2 million in federal fines for failing to fully report the San Francisco crash involving a pedestrian, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
The fines included a $1.5 million penalty to the NHTSA. According to Deputy Director Sophie Shulman:
“It is vitally important for companies developing automated driving systems to prioritize safety and transparency from the start.”
In November 2024, Cruise was also ordered to pay a $500,000 criminal fine for filing a false report in order to influence a federal investigation of the San Francisco crash where a robotaxi hit a pedestrian and dragged her over 20 feet.
Need a Robotaxi Lawyer in Texas?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”
The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years of experience, participation in over 600 jury trials, and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our law firm for a free case review.
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