What to Do After a Self-Driving Car Accident in California
A crash involving a self-driving car is different — the vehicle records what happened, and that data can vanish. Here is a clear order of operations.
Get medical care
Take care of the injury first and keep the records. Prompt care protects your health and documents the harm, connecting it to the crash.
Identify the vehicle and company
Call the police for an official report. Note whether the vehicle was driving itself and which company operated it — Waymo, Cruise, or another — and photograph the vehicle, its sensors, and any markings or unit number.
Save your trip and the scene
If you were a robotaxi passenger, screenshot your trip in the app before it disappears. Photograph the scene and your injuries, and if another driver was involved, get their information and any witnesses'.
Act fast on the vehicle data
These cars record extensive data about what they detected and decided, and it is controlled by the company and can be lost. Getting advice quickly means a preservation request can go out before it is gone.
Be careful and get advice early
Be cautious about recorded statements, and do not assume the company's account is complete. Because more than one party may be responsible and the law is new, a free review can identify who is liable and protect the claim.
Frequently asked questions
The company already told me its car did nothing wrong. Is that the end?
Not necessarily — that is the company's account of its own data. An independent review of the preserved data, with experts, can reveal a different picture, which is why securing it quickly matters.
This article is general information about California injury law, not legal advice. Every case is different — talk to a lawyer about your situation.
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