Self-Driving Robo-Taxi Passenger Injured in an Accident

I’m David Holub, an attorney focusing on personal injury law in northwest Indiana.

Welcome to Personal Injury Primer, where we break down the law into simple terms, provide legal tips, and discuss personal injury law topics.

In recent podcasts, we discussed injuries suffered as a result of taxicab and rideshare vehicle collisions, and how the law treats these alternative types of passenger transport differently.

Today, we discuss how the law might be expected to address a situation in which a passenger in a self-driving robo-taxi is injured in an accident.

We are unsure whether Waymo One, the company transporting passengers in self-driving vehicles, has plans to deploy its self-driving robo-taxis on the roads in Indiana. According to reports, Waymo One operates in select areas of Arizona, California, Georgia, and Texas.

However, as Waymo’s self-driving “robo-taxi” service expands into more cities, accidents involving these vehicles are likely to occur.

Indiana does not have specific statutes directly regulating self-driving cars.

However, general motor vehicle laws apply to vehicles operating on public highways, which would include self-driving cars. Under Indiana law, a “motor vehicle” is defined as a self-propelled vehicle with a declared gross vehicle weight of less than 10,000 pounds, intended primarily for use on public highways, and required to be registered or licensed before operation.

Additionally, Indiana law requires insurance for operating a motor vehicle on public highways.

Traffic and motor vehicle laws, including speed limits, traffic control devices, and other regulations, apply to all vehicles on Indiana highways, which would encompass self-driving motor vehicles.

Reportedly, Waymo One provides “limited medical coverage” for Waymo One riders who have been in an accident, which is designed to pay for the “necessary medical services” resulting from accident-related injuries. These payments are reported to be made available directly to the rider as reimbursements for “incurred medical expenses,” with zero deductible, for up to three years after the accident, and that the coverage is available regardless of who was at fault for the accident, and whether or not the rider has indepentant coverage.

But as with accidents involving taxis and ridesharing vehicles, your car insurance coverage might also come into play if you’re injured as a passenger in a self-driving robo-taxi.

I hope you found this information helpful. If you are a victim of someone’s carelessness, substandard medical care, product defect, work injury, or another personal injury, please call (219) 736-9700 with your questions. You can also learn more about us by visiting our website at DavidHolubLaw.com – while there, make sure you request a copy of our book “Fighting for Truth.”