Texas Tesla Robotaxi Lawyer

Tesla launched its driverless Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, with videos showing scary incidents of wrong-way driving, speeding, phantom braking, and other safety concerns.

Need a Texas Tesla 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 injured by a Tesla Robotaxi or another type of self-driving car without a driver, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.

Tesla Robotaxi Testing Begins in Austin, Texas

Tesla officially launched its driverless Robotaxi service on the public city streets of Austin, Texas, on Sunday, June 22, 2025. This test only involved about 10 to 20 Tesla Model Y robotaxis equipped with the company’s latest Full-Self Driving (FSD) technology, and no human driver.

How Did it Go?

During the testing phase, Tesla Robotaxis were only allowed to drive during the day, in clear sunny weather. Their only passengers were people who had been hand-selected by Tesla to observe the ride.

Unfortunately, many of these rides were not very safe. In just 3 days, videos showed Tesla Robotaxis involved in several alarming traffic violations, raising serious safety concerns. These violations included:

Safety Officials Investigate Tesla Robotaxi Traffic Incidents

Safety officials with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have contacted Tesla about robotaxi traffic incidents.

The NHTSA also clarified that it does not “pre-approve new technologies or vehicle systems.” Instead, it certifies that vehicles meet its safety standards, and if there are issues, it follows up on safety defects.

What is a Robotaxi?

Tesla unveiled its Robotaxi concept vehicle in October 2024. Also called the “Cybercab,” it is Tesla’s version of a battery-powered electric taxi without a driver, designed to compete with traditional taxis and ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. Tesla robotaxis use Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, which relies on a camera-based system to visualize the roadway, rather than radar or LiDAR sensors.

Problems With Camera-Based Self-Driving Cars

Self-driving vehicles with camera-based systems work great in perfect conditions, on well-marked roads in clear sunny weather. The problem is that self-driving vehicles with only camera-based systems sometimes struggle to drive safely in poor lighting and unusual traffic situations.

In 2022, Tesla removed ultrasonic sensors like RADAR and LiDAR, switching their vehicles to use only camera-based vision. Not surprisingly, this resulted in an uptick in issues like phantom braking. Tesla recommends that drivers always pay attention to the road, even while using Autopilot or FSD features.

Here are some examples of potential hazards:

Phantom braking (when the vehicle unexpectedly slams on its brakes and nearly stops in the road after misinterpreting a shadow or nearby object as an obstacle in the road)
Failing to yield for children crossing in front of school buses
Unsafe driving in poor weather
Failing to drive correctly through construction zones, poorly-marked roads, or unusual traffic situations
Crashing into parked police cars or other emergency vehicles with flashing lights (some of these accidents were deadly)
Failing to yield for emergency vehicles
And more

Tesla Hopes to Expand Robotaxi Fleet Nationwide

Tesla, a company in Austin, Texas, started testing their experimental robotaxis on the streets of Austin in June 2025. The company said it hopes to expand to other cities in Texas, and eventually nationwide. Elon Musk has predicted that millions of robotaxis will be on the road by 2026.

How Do Robotaxis Work?

Tesla explained that people will use robotaxis much like Uber or Lyft, with an app to summon the robotaxi, select a destination, and pay — the key difference being that robotaxis will not have a human driver.

Tesla is also testing other experimental autonomous vehicles, like the Tesla Semi Truck. Another example is the Tesla Robovan, which is a driverless vehicle that might someday be used for transportation, cargo, delivery, or even as a mobile office on the road.

Robotaxi Lawsuits

The alarming traffic incidents involving Tesla Robotaxis have raised significant safety concerns and legal issues, including the possibility of lawsuits for people who are injured or killed by driverless robotaxis.

Lawsuits could also be filed for injuries or deaths involving self-driving vehicles operated by other companies (such as Waymo, Zoox, etc.)

Was Anyone Injured by a Tesla Robotaxi?

No one was injured in the first few days of the Tesla Robotaxi tests, but there were several dangerous mishaps that could have ended in tragedy — wrong-way driving, speeding, hard braking, and more.

What is the Risk?

There are many examples of people who could be injured by a driverless robotaxi, such as:

Passengers in a robotaxi
Other drivers (not at fault)
Pedestrians
Children crossing in front of a school bus
Construction workers
Robotaxi passengers dropped off in an unsafe location
Bicyclists
Police officers, emergency workers, etc.
And more

Robotaxi Lawsuits for Car Accident Victims

The biggest tech companies in the world are experimenting with self-driving robotaxis on the streets of Texas, Nevada, California, Georgia, other states in the U.S., and internationally.

Robotaxi companies make big promises about safety and their vision of the future — but can we trust their promises?

There is no excuse for putting corporate profits ahead of public safety on the streets of Texas, or any other state. Tesla may claim their robotaxis are safe (or safer) than human drivers, but there is always a risk of injury or death for innocent victims who suffer the consequences of a “software glitch” or “buggy” new technology.

What Should I Do?

If you were injured by a robotaxi, driverless car, or any other type of self-driving vehicle that was using a dangerously defective and unsafe self-driving system, we may be able to help you seek justice and file a lawsuit.

There is no guarantee of a settlement or payout from this type of lawsuit, but you could potentially receive compensation for your pain and suffering, long-term injuries, medical expenses, lost income, wrongful death of a family member, and other damages.

Need a Tesla 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.