Self-driving cars are already part of everyday life in San Francisco. You’ve probably seen Waymo or Cruise vehicles navigating city streets without anyone behind the wheel. These cars promise convenience and safety, but they’re not without serious risks. If you were involved in a collision, hiring a self-driving car accident lawyer in San Francisco can be critical.
At Arias Sanguinetti, we represent people injured in crashes involving autonomous vehicles. Whether the crash involved a completely driverless car or a vehicle using partial automation such as lane assist or automatic braking, our San Francisco car accident lawyers know how to investigate these cases and pursue accountability. Schedule your free consultation today.
What Causes Self-Driving Car Crashes?
Even the most advanced vehicles make mistakes. And when they do, the result can be devastating.
Some of the most common failures involving self-driving vehicles include:
- Phantom braking that causes rear-end collisions
- Poor lane-keeping or overcorrection
- Failure to detect pedestrians or cyclists
- Misreading construction zones, detours, or road markings
- Inadequate response to emergency vehicles
These crashes often occur without warning, and recovering the data needed to understand what happened requires taking swift legal action to retrieve this information from the vehicle immediately. An experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer can help you take the necessary steps to protect critical evidence.
What Counts as a Self-Driving Car?
The term “self-driving” covers a wide range of technology. According to the Society of Automotive Engineers, there are six levels of automation, from basic warnings and momentary assistance (Level 0) to fully autonomous vehicles (Level 5).
Most crashes today involve cars with Level 2 or 3 automation, where the driver is supposed to stay alert but often becomes over-reliant on the system.
As Arias Sanguinetti Partner Elise Sanguinetti noted in a recent Trial magazine interview, this overreliance creates serious danger: “Because the systems allow the vehicle to take control, drivers tend to become disengaged … They fall asleep, look at their phones … and just generally do not pay attention.”
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Can I Sue a Self-Driving Car Company After a Crash?
Yes – and in many cases, you should. If an autonomous vehicle caused your injuries, you may be able to sue the company responsible for building, operating, or maintaining the car. These claims can involve:
- Product liability, if the vehicle malfunctioned
- Negligence, if the company failed to monitor the system or intervene
- Traffic law violations, if the vehicle operated unsafely or illegally
These cases are a developing field of law. Other attorneys often refer these cases to us because we are leaders in this field.
In one case we’re currently handling, our client was riding in the backseat of a Cruise vehicle operating in fully autonomous mode when it was rear-ended by a Lyft vehicle driven by a human. Like any other crash, the core question is who was at fault – but with self-driving cars, that question brings new legal challenges.
If the Cruise vehicle made a bad decision, it’s not a human driver who’s responsible – it’s the company that built and deployed the technology.
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Who Can Be Held Responsible After a Self-Driving Car Accident?
Self-driving car accident claims often involve multiple parties. Depending on the facts, liability may lie with:
- The AV company (Waymo, Cruise, Tesla, etc.)
- Software developers or tech vendors
- Fleet maintenance contractors
- In rare cases, a government entity (e.g., poor road design)
If you were injured in a crash involving one of these vehicles, it’s critical to work with a San Francisco self-driving car accident attorney who understands the legal challenges involved. You need a lawyer who can dive into the data, the tech, and the dynamic legal questions.
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Why These Cases Are So Complicated
Self-driving vehicle litigation isn’t just about proving someone ran a red light. You’re often dealing with:
- Gigabytes of vehicle data, sensor logs, and onboard video
- Systems that make decisions based on proprietary algorithms
- Resistance from companies to hand over information
We’ve seen manufacturers hide behind vague warnings, massive digital manuals, and unclear definitions of who’s really in charge. We know how to challenge these defenses and demand access to the evidence you need to win.
What Kind of Compensation Can I Recover?
Injured parties in San Francisco self-driving car crashes may be entitled to compensation for a wide range of damages, including:
- Medical bills (past and future)
- Lost income
- Decreased earning potential
- Pain and suffering, including emotional distress and mental anguish
- PTSD
- Property damage
- Long-term disability or disfigurement
- In some cases, punitive damages for reckless behavior (a recent case against Tesla levied $200 million in punitive damages!)
Since the 1980s, we’ve recovered over $1.5 billion for our clients in intricate, high-value cases, and we’re ready to fight for you, too.
Why Choose Our San Francisco Self-Driving Car Accident Attorneys?
We’re trial lawyers with decades of courtroom experience and national leadership in auto product liability law. Here’s what sets us apart:
- Trusted by other lawyers: Many of the cases we handle come from referrals from other attorneys who recommend us when they know a case is headed to trial.
- Educators in the field: Our team of lawyers regularly teaches trial advocacy and is published in respected legal journals.
- Thorough legal knowledge: We’re equipped to handle high-tech cases that require deep investigation and serious resources.
- Focused on quality: We limit our caseload so we can give each client the time and focus they deserve.
Our San Francisco self-driving car accident lawyers have a proven track record of going up against big corporations and winning, because we know how to handle these companies, their tactics, and the legal gray areas surrounding new technology.
What to Do After a Self-Driving Car Crash in San Francisco
If you’ve been injured in a collision involving a self-driving car, here’s what we recommend:
- Get medical help – even if your injuries feel minor
- Call the police and make sure a report is filed
- Document the scene – photos, license plates, and witness info
- Avoid giving statements to the company or its insurer
- Contact a self-driving car accident attorney serving San Francisco as soon as possible
Delays can cost you key evidence, including logs that show what the vehicle saw, when it reacted, and what decisions it made.
What’s the Deadline to File a Claim After an Accident Involving a Self-Driving Car?
In California, the deadline to sue someone as outlined by the state’s statute of limitations for personal injury is generally two years from the date of the crash. When filing a California government claim against a government entity responsible for your damages, the filing window is reduced to six months.
Waiting too long to take legal action can make it much harder to build a case. Don’t risk losing access to crucial data.
Talk to a Self-Driving Car Accident Lawyer Serving San Francisco Today
If a self-driving car crash left you injured, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to take on these companies by yourself. At Arias Sanguinetti, we offer free consultations and work on a contingency basis, so you don’t pay unless we win.
We’ve helped shape the legal conversation around autonomous vehicles, and we’re proud to stand with those who have been injured in this rapidly evolving area of the law. Contact us today to schedule your free case evaluation and speak with a San Francisco self-driving car accident lawyer. We’ll explain the steps we can take to help obtain justice on your behalf.
Call or text 310-844-9696 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
