Waymo Robotaxi Crashes Triple in Los Angeles County: What Injury Victims Need to Know

By Joseph Shirazi, Managing Partner, Compass Law Group · CA Bar #265403
Published October 7, 2026 at 1:47 PM PT · Updated October 7, 2026

Waymo reported 219 crashes in Los Angeles County in 2025, more than triple the 69 crashes recorded in 2024, according to October 5, 2026 reporting from Korea Daily and KFI AM 640. The same reporting says Waymo had accumulated 186 more incidents in LA County so far in 2026. Yet the company’s collision rate per million miles fell over the same period, from 57 in 2023 to 6.7 in 2025. Both facts matter to anyone hurt in a collision involving a driverless car, and this guide explains what they mean for an injury claim in California.

If you are injured in a Los Angeles County crash involving a Waymo robotaxi, you may have a claim under California negligence law. Get medical care, report the collision, preserve evidence, and speak with an attorney well before the two-year filing period in Code of Civil Procedure §335.1 runs.

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Why Did Waymo Crashes Triple in Los Angeles County?

The headline number is striking. Waymo reported 219 crashes in Los Angeles County in 2025, compared with 69 in 2024, according to reporting published October 5, 2026 by Korea Daily and KFI AM 640. That is more than three times as many in a single year. The count has continued to grow, with 186 more LA County incidents accumulated year to date in 2026.

A raw count does not tell the whole story, and the same reporting gives the other half of it. Waymo’s collision rate per million miles dropped from 57 in 2023 to 13.7 in 2024, then to 6.7 in 2025, and below 6 in 2026. In other words, the number of crashes went up while the number of crashes for each mile driven went down. The reporting also notes that Waymo has driven more than 67 million autonomous miles in Los Angeles.

Scale is part of the picture nationally as well. According to the same sources, Waymo has completed over 220 million total fully autonomous miles across 14 US cities and provides approximately 500,000 paid rides per week. More vehicles covering more miles means more opportunities for a collision, even when the rate per mile is falling.

For someone who has been hurt, neither statistic decides anything. A falling collision rate does not mean a particular crash was unavoidable, and a rising crash count does not mean the autonomous vehicle was at fault in any particular collision. The published figures do not assign fault for individual incidents. An injury claim turns on what happened in one collision, on one street, at one moment. The countywide trend is context. It explains why more Angelenos are likely to find themselves sharing a lane, a crosswalk or an intersection with a driverless car, and why it is worth knowing in advance what to do if something goes wrong.

The takeaway is practical rather than alarming: robotaxis are now a routine part of Los Angeles traffic, and collisions involving them are being reported in the hundreds each year. Knowing how California law treats those collisions puts you in a better position if you are ever involved in one.

How Serious Are the Injuries in Waymo Collisions?

Most reported incidents have not involved serious harm. According to the October 5, 2026 reporting from Korea Daily and KFI AM 640, over 80% of 2026 LA County incidents involved no noticeable injuries. About 15% had the potential for injury, and under 1% resulted in severe injuries.

The reporting also describes what the vehicle was doing at the time. Eighty-two incidents occurred while the vehicle was stopped, and 65 occurred while it was traveling straight ahead. Those figures describe the robotaxi’s movement only. They do not say who caused each collision, and no conclusion about fault should be drawn from them.

Waymo’s own comparison to human drivers is part of the reporting too. The company estimates that human drivers would have caused approximately 11 serious-injury collisions over the more than 67 million autonomous miles it has driven in Los Angeles, and it reported 94% fewer serious-injury crashes compared to human drivers in LA. These are the company’s figures as relayed by the two news outlets, and they should be read as such.

From an injury victim’s point of view, three things about these percentages deserve attention.

First, “no noticeable injuries” describes how an incident was categorized, not how every person involved felt in the days afterward. Some injuries are not obvious at the scene. If you were in a collision and feel pain, stiffness, dizziness or confusion later, see a doctor and tell them about the crash. A medical record created close to the event is one of the most important pieces of evidence in any injury claim.

Second, the “potential for injury” category is not small. About 15% of the 2026 LA County incidents fell into it.

Third, a small percentage is still made up of real people. Under 1% of incidents resulted in severe injuries, and for each person in that group the consequences can include hospital care, time away from work and a long recovery. Statistics describe the fleet. They do not describe your injury, and they do not limit what you may be entitled to recover if another party’s lack of care caused it.

Who Can Be Held Responsible When a Driverless Car Is Involved in a Crash?

California’s basic rule of responsibility is found in Civil Code §1714. It provides that everyone is responsible, not only for the result of their willful acts, but also for an injury occasioned to another by their want of ordinary care or skill in the management of their property or person. The same section recognizes an exception to the extent the injured person, willfully or by want of ordinary care, brought the injury upon themselves.

That rule was written long before driverless cars, but it is broad. It speaks of “everyone” and of the management of “property” as well as “person.” How it applies to a specific autonomous vehicle collision depends on the facts, and that analysis belongs with an attorney who has reviewed the evidence. In general terms, the question in any crash is the same: who failed to use ordinary care, and did that failure cause the injury?

In a collision involving a robotaxi, several parties may need to be looked at:

The company operating the vehicle. When there is no human driver, attention naturally turns to the business that put the vehicle on the road and manages how it operates.

Another human driver. Many collisions involve more than one vehicle. A person driving a conventional car who runs a light, follows too closely or drifts out of a lane can be responsible for a crash that also involves a robotaxi. If you were a passenger in the robotaxi, that driver may be the party you look to.

Other parties. Depending on the facts, responsibility can extend to others whose conduct contributed to the collision. Identifying them requires investigation, not assumption.

Your own conduct matters too. Civil Code §1714 expressly accounts for an injured person’s own want of ordinary care. If an insurer argues that you contributed to the collision, that argument has to be tested against the evidence.

Because fault in these cases can be shared or disputed, it helps to understand the framework before you speak with any insurer. Our article on who is at fault in a self-driving car accident covers the question in more depth, and our Los Angeles car accident lawyers handle collision claims throughout the county.

What Do the Austin and San Francisco Incidents Show About Robotaxi Risks?

The reporting from Korea Daily and KFI AM 640 on October 5, 2026 is not limited to Los Angeles. It describes two incidents elsewhere that illustrate the kinds of problems that do not show up neatly in a collision rate.

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In Austin, Waymo received a citation for passing school buses with stop-arms deployed and issued a voluntary recall. In San Francisco, a power blackout left multiple Waymo vehicles stranded and blocking emergency responders.

Neither item is described in the reporting as an injury crash, and neither should be read as proof of what happened in any Los Angeles collision. They matter for a different reason. They show that an autonomous vehicle’s behavior depends on how it responds to conditions around it, and that those responses can fall short in situations a careful human driver is expected to handle: a stopped school bus, a darkened intersection, an emergency vehicle that needs to get through.

For an injured person, that has practical consequences.

The evidence is different. In a conventional crash, much of the case rests on what two drivers say they saw and did. When one vehicle has no driver, the account of what that vehicle “saw” and “decided” lives in data the operating company holds. You cannot interview a robotaxi at the scene. That makes it more important to capture what you can yourself, and to have a lawyer request preservation of the company’s records early.

The setting matters. A school bus stop is where children cross the street. A blackout is when signals are dark and pedestrians are hard to see. People on foot are the most exposed in situations like these. If you were struck while walking, our Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyers can explain how these claims are handled.

A recall is context, not a verdict. The Austin recall described in the reporting was voluntary. Whether any issue addressed by a recall played a part in a specific collision is a factual question that has to be answered with evidence from that collision.

The broader lesson is that a low rate of serious-injury crashes and real operational failures can both be true at once. A fair evaluation of any one incident looks at what that vehicle did, in that place, at that time.

What Should You Know If You Were a Passenger, Driver, or Pedestrian?

Your role in the collision shapes the questions that need answering. With Waymo providing approximately 500,000 paid rides per week across the cities it serves, according to the October 5, 2026 reporting, people encounter these vehicles in every one of the roles below.

If you were a passenger in the robotaxi. You were not controlling the vehicle. You were a paying rider. The central questions are which vehicle or vehicles caused the collision and whose insurance responds. Keep your ride receipt and any in-app trip record. They show when and where you were picked up, the route, and that you were in the vehicle when the crash occurred. Passengers in app-based rides face similar questions whether or not there is a human behind the wheel, and our Los Angeles Uber and Lyft accident lawyers work with those issues regularly.

If you were driving another vehicle. Expect your own conduct to be examined closely. Civil Code §1714 accounts for an injured person’s own want of ordinary care. Do not guess about speed, distance or timing when you speak with an insurer. Stick to what you know, and let the physical evidence and any recorded data fill in the rest.

If you were walking, cycling, or riding a motorcycle. You have the least protection in any collision and the greatest need for prompt medical evaluation. Photograph where you were, where the vehicle was, and any signals, crosswalk markings or signs nearby before conditions change.

If a family member was killed. Code of Civil Procedure §335.1 covers actions for the death of an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another, as well as actions for injury. The reporting indicates that severe outcomes are a small share of incidents, but for a family that has lost someone, that share is everything. Our Los Angeles wrongful death attorneys can explain who is permitted to bring such a claim and what it involves.

In every one of these roles, be careful with early conversations. An insurer or company representative may contact you soon after a crash. You are entitled to understand your position before you give a recorded statement or sign anything. For a step-by-step look at how app-based ride claims usually unfold, see our guide on what to do after an Uber accident in California.

Evidence worth gathering after a collision involving a robotaxi includes:

• Photographs and video of every vehicle, the roadway, traffic signals and your visible injuries
• The robotaxi’s identifying details, such as its license plate and any vehicle number displayed on it
• Your ride receipt and in-app trip record, if you were a passenger
• Names and contact information for witnesses, including other drivers and bystanders
• The police report number and the name of the responding agency
• Medical records, bills and discharge instructions from every provider you see
• Notes, written while your memory is fresh, about what you saw and felt before, during and after the impact

Waymo Robotaxi Crashes Triple in Los Angeles County: What Injury Victims Need to Know | Source: CA DMV Autonomous Vehicle Incident Reports · leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · Compass Law Group

Source: Compass Law Group | Waymo Robotaxi Crashes Triple in Los Angeles County: What Injury Victims Need to Know

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How Compass Law Group Builds Your Case

Compass Law Group, LLP is a California personal injury firm. When someone comes to us after a collision, the work starts with listening: what happened, what injuries you have, and what you need now. From there, building a case generally involves gathering the records that show how the collision occurred, identifying each party whose conduct may have contributed, and documenting the full effect of the injury on your health, your work and your daily life.

In a crash involving an autonomous vehicle, the same principles apply, with added attention to evidence held by the company operating the vehicle. Asking early that relevant records be preserved can matter, because you cannot gather that information on your own at the scene.

We also deal with the insurers so that you do not have to manage those conversations while you are recovering. You can learn more about how we serve clients across the county on our Los Angeles personal injury page. Nothing in this article is a statement about any specific incident described in the news reporting, and Compass Law Group is not suggesting it is involved in any of those matters.

Steps to Take After a Collision Involving a Robotaxi

1. Get to safety and call 911. Report the collision and ask for medical help if anyone is hurt. Tell the dispatcher that a driverless vehicle is involved.
2. Get medical care. Accept evaluation at the scene and follow up with a doctor, even if you feel only minor discomfort. Describe every symptom.
3. Document the scene. Photograph all vehicles, their positions, the roadway, traffic controls and your injuries. Record the robotaxi’s license plate and any vehicle number shown on it.
4. Collect witness information. Ask for names and phone numbers from anyone who saw the collision, including other drivers and people nearby.
5. Save your trip records. If you were a passenger, keep your ride receipt and take screenshots of the trip details in the app.
6. Obtain the police report number. Write down the responding agency and the officer’s name so the report can be requested later.
7. Be careful with statements. Do not guess about fault, speed or distance. You may decline to give a recorded statement to an insurer until you have had legal advice.
8. Keep everything. Hold on to medical bills, records of missed work, damaged belongings and any correspondence about the crash.
9. Talk to an attorney early. Code of Civil Procedure §335.1 sets a two-year period for injury actions. Early advice helps protect your deadline and helps ensure that evidence held by others is requested before it is lost.

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References

1. Korea Daily, October 5, 2026. https://en.koreadaily.com/waymo-robotaxi-safety-concerns-la-collisions/
2. KFI AM 640, October 5, 2026. https://kfiam640.iheart.com/featured/la-local-news/content/2026-10-05-robotaxi-accidents-rise-in-la-data-show-safer-driving/
3. CCP §335.1. https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/code-of-civil-procedure/ccp-sect-335-1/
4. Cal. Civ. Code §1714. https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/civil-code/civ-sect-1714/