Waymo Rolls Into Philly: A Lawyer’s Lens on Autonomous Car Crashes

Personal Injury Philly
Jul 9
3 min read

This summer, Waymo is expanding its driverless taxi service to Philadelphia—with initial testing relying on human safety operators behind the wheel—marking a major milestone for the city. As a personal injury attorney, let’s unpack what this means for Philadelphians, and how the law tackles crashes involving autonomous vehicles, even though Waymo boasts extraordinary safety records.

1. 🚘 The Safety Case: Statistics Speak Louder Than Speculation

Waymo’s safety data is compelling:

Over 56.7 million fully driverless miles, Waymo reports:
- 92% fewer pedestrian injury crashes
- 82% fewer cyclist/motorcyclist injuries
- 96% fewer vehicle-to-vehicle intersection crashes (theverge.com)
In an earlier Swiss Re study across 25.3M miles:
- 88% reduction in property damage claims
- 92% reduction in bodily injury claims (only 2 claims vs. 26 expected) (waymo.com)
Another analysis of 7.1M driverless miles showed:
- 85% fewer injury-causing crashes
- 57% fewer police-reported crashes (theverge.com, waymo.com)

🚨 Bottom line: Waymo significantly outperforms human-driven vehicles on metrics that matter for injury lawsuits.

2. ⚖️ Crash Happens—Who’s Liable in Philly?

Even with lower crash rates, self-driving cars aren’t invincible—a recent recall in May 2025 affected 1,212 vehicles due to barrier collisions (mysanantonio.com). Here's how liability could be allocated:

Product / Design Defect – If Waymo’s software or hardware (e.g. lidar) fails, injured parties may sue Waymo as the manufacturer under product liability laws.
Negligence – If Waymo misprogrammed or negligently maintained the system, and that leads to a collision, fault may be established.
Operator Negligence – During testing phases with human safety drivers, legal blame could rest on the operator if they failed to intervene appropriately.
Comparative Fault – Pennsylvania follows comparative negligence—damages can be reduced even if the injured party bears some fault.
Insurance and Coverage – Pennsylvania law views motor vehicles as requiring insurance; Waymo’s rides should be covered. However, insurers may challenge claims based on fault attribution, especially with "open" NHTSA reporting requirements for AVs.

3. 🧭 Lower Risk, But Still Legal Minefield

Even with better safety stats, each crash involving serious injury or death triggers complex legal scenarios:

Evidence Collection: AV systems log extensive sensor/telemetry data. As a lawyer, securing access to this data is critical—but Waymo may resist due to trade secrets.
Regulatory Reporting: Waymo must report every incident under NHTSA rules. These reports can be game changers during discovery.
Public Trust vs. Fear: Crashes involving AVs gain outsized attention—witness recall biases, juror prejudice, and media narratives can influence cases.
Precedent Gaps: Limited case law around Level 4 AV claims leaves courts navigating untested legal pathways—settlements may dominate.

4. 📜 Poised for Philadelphia: What Should Lawyers & Citizens Know?

Proactive Preparation: Injury attorneys should update knowledge on AV tech, sensor systems, and who to depose—Waymo engineers? Safety drivers? Regulatory analysts?
Legislative Changes: Philly needs clear laws on autonomous vehicles—especially on liability thresholds, operator certification, and privacy protections.
Settlement Trends: Given data shows low crash frequency, but high-speed outcomes, expect early settlements—AV companies often want to control brand narrative.

5. 🧠 Key Takeaway

Yes, Waymo’s safety record strongly suggests fewer crashes and injuries. But from a legal standpoint, even one incident in Philadelphia could mean novel, high-profile litigation—relying on:

X-ray analysis of sensor logs
Expert comparisons to driver benchmarks
Intricate regulatory and insurance frameworks

The fact that AVs are less crash-prone doesn’t eliminate civil liability—it amplifies the need for AV-savvy legal standards, investigative tools, and defense or prosecution strategies.

As Waymo enters Philly, personal injury lawyers must ask: Are we ready? Whether you represent injured parties or Waymo, sharpen your understanding—every AV collision is a test case shaping the future of transportation law.

By preparing now, legal professionals can better serve clients—and Philadelphia can better safeguard its streets.