What Happens If You Are Injured in a Self-Driving Car Accident in California?

 Posted on June 30, 2026 in Car Accidents

Companies like Waymo have been running fully driverless rides on California roads since 2023, with more operators entering the market every year. The California Department of Motor Vehicles reports that AV permit holders logged more than 9 million test miles on California roads during the 12-month period from December 1, 2024, through November 30, 2025. With that much activity, crashes involving these vehicles are becoming more frequent. 

If you were hurt in a self-driving car accident in 2026, figuring out who owes you compensation is more complicated than in a regular car crash. A Glendale, CA car accident attorney at our firm can help.

Does It Matter That the Car Was Self-Driving When You File a Claim in California?

Under California Vehicle Code Section 38750, an autonomous vehicle is one that can drive itself under certain conditions without a person actively controlling it. Features like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping, and automatic braking alone do not qualify a vehicle as autonomous under California law.

Whether the vehicle meets that legal definition of autonomous can affect which laws apply and what evidence may be available after a crash. Fully driverless vehicles like Waymo are subject to different state and federal requirements than cars using Tesla's Autopilot or similar driver-assist technology. For example, manufacturers must preserve at least 30 seconds of sensor data under federal law, and keep it under California law for at least three years.

If you are unsure what type of vehicle hit you, an attorney can review the available records and help determine which rules apply to your case.

Who Is Legally Responsible After a California Autonomous Vehicle Crash?

In a standard crash, you sue the driver who caused it. In an AV accident, there may be no human driver to hold liable, and the question of who owes you money is more complicated.

The maker of autonomous technology is often the main defendant. When a vehicle's software or sensors fail and cause a crash, that failure may be a product defect under California product liability law. The company that built the system can be held liable even without proof of carelessness.

Under Assembly Bill 1777, signed in 2024, California created a process for law enforcement to notify autonomous vehicle companies when one of their driverless vehicles appears to violate a traffic law. If a self-driving car ran a red light and hit you, the company cannot avoid being investigated simply because there was no human driver.

A human driver can still be found at fault in some cases. If the crash involved a partially automated vehicle in which the system required the driver to remain ready to take control and the driver was not paying attention, the driver may be partly liable, along with the manufacturer.

What Makes a Self-Driving Car Accident Claim Different From a Regular Car Accident in California?

Companies testing autonomous vehicles on California roads must report collisions involving injury, death, or property damage to the California DMV, and those reports are public records. In a standard crash, negligence comes down to what one driver did on one day. With AV cases, a lawyer can use the public reports to show the same system failing across multiple incidents, building a case for a known defect rather than an isolated mistake.

Your claim may involve the manufacturer's commercial policy, your own policy, or both. Waymo and similar operators carry commercial liability policies that can reach into the millions, but those policies are structured to protect the company. 

What Proof Do You Need to Win an Autonomous Vehicle Injury Case in California?

An injury claim involving a self-driving car typically involves the same kind of evidence you would need in any other car accident: 

• Photos

• Dashcam and intersection camera footage

• Damage to the car

• Evidence of injuries 

Fortunately, the massive amount of data that self-driving cars collect now can actually make it easier to file a claim against an autonomous vehicle’s operator. Event data recordings, sensor and telemetry logs, and camera footage from the AV software can all be useful evidence. 

Contact Our Glendale, CA Car Accident Attorney for a Free Consultation

If you were hurt by a self-driving or automated vehicle, our Los Angeles, CA motor vehicle accident lawyers at Tahmazian Law Firm, P.C. are here to help. Call 818-242-8201 to schedule a free consultation.