Austin Self-Driving Car Accident Lawyer

The Sharp Firm represents people hurt in crashes involving driverless and self-driving cars in Austin, where Tesla and Waymo robotaxis now share the road with everyone else. If an autonomous vehicle hit you, or crashed while you were riding in it, a self-driving car accident lawyer can sort out who is responsible for your injuries.

These claims don’t look like a typical Austin car accident lawyer case. There is no driver to interview, only a company, its software and the driving data it stores. Lance and Laura Sharp have each spent more than 30 years on serious injury cases, and they handle every client’s claim themselves. Call 512-407-8800 or contact us online for a free consultation about what happened to you.

Who Is Liable When a Self-Driving Car Crashes in Texas?

When an automated driving system is engaged, Texas law treats that system as the vehicle’s operator, even if nobody is inside the car. Under Texas Transportation Code § 545.454, as amended by Senate Bill 2807 in 2025, the owner or authorized operating company receives any traffic citation the car earns.

So if a robotaxi runs a red light on Cesar Chavez and hits you in a crosswalk, the company behind it answers for that crash, much as a human driver would.

“With automated vehicles like Tesla’s, responsibility sometimes falls on the corporation.”

Lance Sharp

The operating company may not be the only one responsible for your injuries. A flaw in the sensors or the programming can support one of our defective vehicle claims against the manufacturer.

That kind of product liability case asks whether the vehicle was unreasonably dangerous as designed or built. Another driver on the road, or a shop that serviced the car, can share the blame too.

Texas splits fault by percentage. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001, you can still recover as long as you are not more than 50% responsible for the crash. Robotaxi companies often point to other drivers, so we dig into the data to show where the fault really sits.

Are Robotaxis Operating in Austin?

Yes. Tesla launched its robotaxi service in Austin on June 22, 2025, and Waymo started offering fully driverless rides in Austin through the Uber app on March 4, 2025.

Waymo’s first Austin service area covered about 37 square miles, from Hyde Park through Downtown to Montopolis. Avride and Zoox run automated vehicles here as well, so the car beside you on Lamar Boulevard may have nobody behind the wheel.

The state, not the city, regulates these companies. Senate Bill 2807 took effect on September 1, 2025, and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles automated vehicle program started enforcing its authorization requirement on May 28, 2026.

Since then, any company carrying passengers or goods without a human driver has needed an active TxDMV authorization. It also has to certify that the Texas Department of Public Safety has its plan for how first responders should handle its vehicles after a crash.

How Many Robotaxi Crashes Have Been Reported in Austin?

Tesla reported 23 robotaxi crashes in Austin between its June 2025 launch and August 17, 2026, based on reports filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those same filings, tallied by the San Antonio Express-News, show Waymo with 135 Austin crashes, Avride with 27, and Zoox with 3.

The numbers come from NHTSA’s Standing General Order, a federal rule that makes companies report crashes involving their automated driving systems. Serious crashes, including any with a death, a hospital trip, a struck pedestrian or cyclist, an airbag deployment or a tow, must be reported within five days.

A report on file doesn’t mean the robotaxi caused the crash. It does show how often these vehicles end up in collisions, and a robotaxi accident lawyer can use that history when building your claim.

Is a Tesla on Autopilot or Full Self-Driving a Self-Driving Car?

No. Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) are driver-assist systems, meaning software that steers and brakes while a human driver stays responsible for watching the road.

Tesla puts the word “Supervised” in the product’s name for that reason. The person behind the wheel is still the driver under Texas law, so a crash with a privately owned Tesla usually starts as a claim against that driver’s insurer.

How the system behaved can still shape the case. If Autopilot never braked for a stopped car, a Tesla Autopilot accident lawyer can look at whether the design or Tesla’s warnings fell short.

Juries have weighed that question before. In August 2025, a federal jury in Miami found Tesla 33% responsible for a 2019 Autopilot crash that killed a pedestrian, and the driver carried the rest of the fault. A careless driver and a flawed system can both be to blame for the same crash.

What Evidence Matters in a Self-Driving Car Crash?

Most of the proof in a self-driving car crash sits in data the vehicle and its operator collect, showing what the car detected and did before impact.

“Video has changed these cases. Teslas record automatically, and cameras are everywhere now. I’ve had cases where the video was what proved liability.”

Lance Sharp

As your autonomous vehicle accident lawyer, The Sharp Firm goes after these sources of proof:

• Sensor and camera logs, which record speed, braking and what the system saw
• Company incident reports, including those filed with NHTSA, and logs from any remote operator who took control
• App trip data showing pickup time, route and the vehicle assigned to your ride
• Traffic camera footage from the city or state, which is often overwritten within days
• Statements from witnesses who saw what the car did

We understand you may be focused on healing right now, and chasing records shouldn’t fall on you. Because the company controls most of this evidence, we send a preservation letter right away demanding that it keep every record.

What If You Were Riding in a Robotaxi When It Crashed?

A robotaxi passenger can bring an injury claim against the company operating the autonomous vehicle, because Texas holds that company responsible for how its vehicle drives. Texas Transportation Code § 545.455, as amended by Senate Bill 2807, also requires every automated vehicle to carry liability insurance or approved self-insurance.

In Austin, Waymo rides are booked only through Uber, so a Waymo accident lawyer will look at both companies. Uber keeps your trip record and support messages, Waymo keeps the driving data, and the agreement between them may affect which insurer pays.

Tesla robotaxi rides run through Tesla’s own app, which means Tesla holds both the trip record and the driving data. We handle these rides the way an Uber and Lyft accident lawyer handles any rideshare claim, tracing every insurance policy that might cover your injuries.

What Can You Recover After a Self-Driving Car Accident?

Texas law lets people hurt in self-driving car crashes recover compensation for both financial losses and personal harm.

“Damages come down to how the accident has affected your life.”

Lance Sharp

The damages in a robotaxi or self-driving car case usually fall into these categories under Texas law:

• Medical bills, now and in the future
• Lost wages and lost earning capacity
• Pain and mental anguish
• Physical impairment and disfigurement
• Vehicle repair or replacement

We know how hard it is when a crash takes someone you love. Texas also allows families to bring a wrongful death claim for those losses.

Self-Driving Car Accident FAQs

Can I sue Tesla or Waymo directly?

Yes. Texas holds the owner or authorized company responsible when its automated vehicle breaks traffic laws, so you can name the company running the robotaxi in an injury claim. If a defect in the car or its software played a part, the manufacturer may be liable as well. Talk to a lawyer about your case to learn which companies belong in it.

What if a human driver hit the robotaxi I was in?

The driver who caused the crash, through their insurance company, would usually pay compensation for your injuries. As a passenger, you may also have a claim against the robotaxi company’s coverage if its vehicle shared any of the fault. We compare the police report with the company’s own report to see where fault falls.

Who do I report a robotaxi crash to?

Call 911 or the Austin Police Department first so officers write an official crash report. Then report the crash to the operating company through its app or the in-car support line. Keep your trip receipt and photos, and get the names of anyone who saw it happen.

How long do I have to file?

Two years. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the crash. Robotaxi companies can lose or overwrite data much sooner than that, so reaching out early protects the proof your claim depends on.

How Can a Self-Driving Car Accident Lawyer at The Sharp Firm Help?

The Sharp Firm gives your case the personal attention of two senior trial lawyers, Lance and Laura Sharp, from the first preservation letter through trial and, if needed, appeal. Each has more than 30 years of litigation experience, and both are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

We are a smaller Austin firm, and clients tell us we explain each step and stay honest about how a case is likely to go. A robotaxi company has lawyers and engineers working for it from the first day. You should have someone working that hard for you.

Call 512-407-8800 or contact us online for a free consultation with a Texas self-driving car accident lawyer. You pay no fee unless we win your case.

The Sharp Firm – Austin, TX Office

7800 N. Mopac Expy.
Suite 200
Austin, TX 78759

Call: 512-407-8800