San Francisco bicyclist sues over crash involving 2 Waymo cars
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Scott Mace
Jun 17, 2025, 10:09:30 PM6/17/25
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San Francisco bicyclist sues over crash involving 2 Waymo cars
SiliconValley.com
By Bay Area News Group
June 10, 2025
https://www.siliconvalley.com/2025/06/10/san-francisco-bicyclist-crash-waymo/
A bicyclist has sued Waymo over a crash that she says was caused by two
of the company’s self-driving cars on a San Francisco street.
The complaint filed Friday, June 6, in San Francisco Superior Court
describes a collision in a South of Market bike lane.
The bicyclist, an Adobe Systems employee, said she was northbound in the
Seventh Street bike lane around 12:10 p.m. on Feb. 16, 2025, a Sunday.
In the last block before Market Street, the complaint says, a Waymo car
pulled to the curb, adjacent to the bike lane. A backseat passenger on
the driver’s side “suddenly and without warning opened the rear door”
into the cyclist’s path.
As the cyclist attempted to take evasive action, a second Waymo car,
also attempting to pull to the curb, crossed into the bike lane,
“eliminating plaintiff’s opportunity to safely maneuver,” the complaint
says.
The bike hit the first car’s open door, ejecting the cyclist, and she
was thrown into the passenger side of the second car. She suffered
“serious” injuries and was taken to a hospital by ambulance, the
complaint says.
The complaint notes that Waymo says its cars have a “Safe Exit” feature,
which is supposed to notify disembarking passengers when cyclists or
pedestrians are near the car. That system, it says, apparently “failed
to function as intended.”
The bicyclist is alleging that Waymo was negligent and committed
intentional battery (with malice, in light of its “willful and conscious
disregard for the safety of others”) and intentional affliction of
emotional distress. Google parent Alphabet, which owns Waymo, is also
named as a defendant.
The bicyclist is requesting a jury trial to determine an award of damages.
Waymo has been operating a driverless ride service in San Francisco
since 2021. It expanded to the Peninsula last year, and this month it
was approved to operate in San Jose.
SiliconValley.com
By Bay Area News Group
June 10, 2025
https://www.siliconvalley.com/2025/06/10/san-francisco-bicyclist-crash-waymo/
A bicyclist has sued Waymo over a crash that she says was caused by two
of the company’s self-driving cars on a San Francisco street.
The complaint filed Friday, June 6, in San Francisco Superior Court
describes a collision in a South of Market bike lane.
The bicyclist, an Adobe Systems employee, said she was northbound in the
Seventh Street bike lane around 12:10 p.m. on Feb. 16, 2025, a Sunday.
In the last block before Market Street, the complaint says, a Waymo car
pulled to the curb, adjacent to the bike lane. A backseat passenger on
the driver’s side “suddenly and without warning opened the rear door”
into the cyclist’s path.
As the cyclist attempted to take evasive action, a second Waymo car,
also attempting to pull to the curb, crossed into the bike lane,
“eliminating plaintiff’s opportunity to safely maneuver,” the complaint
says.
The bike hit the first car’s open door, ejecting the cyclist, and she
was thrown into the passenger side of the second car. She suffered
“serious” injuries and was taken to a hospital by ambulance, the
complaint says.
The complaint notes that Waymo says its cars have a “Safe Exit” feature,
which is supposed to notify disembarking passengers when cyclists or
pedestrians are near the car. That system, it says, apparently “failed
to function as intended.”
The bicyclist is alleging that Waymo was negligent and committed
intentional battery (with malice, in light of its “willful and conscious
disregard for the safety of others”) and intentional affliction of
emotional distress. Google parent Alphabet, which owns Waymo, is also
named as a defendant.
The bicyclist is requesting a jury trial to determine an award of damages.
Waymo has been operating a driverless ride service in San Francisco
since 2021. It expanded to the Peninsula last year, and this month it
was approved to operate in San Jose.
Scott Mace
Jun 20, 2025, 2:51:44 PM6/20/25
to cabo...@googlegroups.com
Here's new coverage of this lawsuit by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Suit by S.F. cyclist ‘doored’ by driverless Waymo says safety system failed
By Matthias Gafni, Investigative Reporter
Updated June 20, 2025 10:32 a.m.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/s-f-cyclist-sues-waymo-doored-robotaxi-20385289.php
Jenifer Hanki was cycling down Seventh Street in San Francisco when an
autonomous Waymo pulled into her marked bike lane and a passenger popped
open a back door, colliding with her bike and ejecting her into the side
of a second Waymo also pulling into the bicycle pathway, according to a
lawsuit.
Hanki alleges the company’s Safe Exit system, designed to warn
passengers of such incoming hazards, failed in the February crash. She
sued Mountain View-based Waymo and its parent company, Alphabet, this
month in San Francisco County Superior Court alleging battery, emotional
distress and negligence while seeking unspecified damages.
“Unlike Uber, Lyft, or taxis, where drivers actively monitor traffic and
often lock doors or guide passengers to exit safely, Waymo’s system fell
short significantly,” Hanki said in a released statement. “There was no
alert issued in the illegally parked car as according to the passengers.
Human drivers prevent accidents every day by assessing real-time risks,
something Waymo’s ‘Safe Exit’ system clearly cannot handle.”
Waymo wouldn’t comment on the lawsuit, but pointed to its own safety
data which it said records 78% fewer injuries caused by collisions
compared with human drivers covering the same distance in the cities it
serves.
“Waymo is committed to improving road safety for both our riders and
other road users,” a spokesperson said Friday morning. “In addition to
traditional base vehicle features, Waymo provides riders and nearby road
users with supplementary alerts to help give them additional information
about approaching vehicles during pickups and drop-offs.”
The crash happened Feb. 16, just after noon, as Hanki pedaled to her
apartment, traveling northwest on Seventh Street between Stevenson and
Market streets in a marked bike lane, the lawsuit says. A Waymo carrying
four passengers pulled over to the right side curb on the one-way street
next to a no-stopping sign, the suit says.
“The curb-side Waymo’s left passenger door suddenly swung open directly
in the bike lane,” Hanki said. “I had no room or time to swerve. With no
room or time to react, I crashed violently into the door and interior.”
The 26-year-old said she flew into a second Waymo and landed on the
ground “disoriented and overwhelmed.”
“As there were no human drivers in Waymo’s vehicles, it exacerbated the
chaos,” she said. “The passengers were visibly confused, the two Waymos
remained as they were, obstructing both the bike lane and regular
oncoming traffic.”
Hanki said the passengers told her it was their first Waymo ride, and
they were unsure how to report the incident. They shrugged and left the
scene after a few minutes, she said. Other witnesses called 911.
An ambulance took Hanki to a hospital with “serious bodily injuries,”
the suit says.
Among the safety systems marketed by Waymo is its Safe Exit, which is
“supposed to be designed to detect nearby cyclists and pedestrians and
notify disembarking passengers to avoid collisions,” he suit alleges.
Hanki said the system failed and that the company long knew its cars
were “dooring” cyclists.
“As technology moves forward, we believe it is crucial for all
autonomous car companies to not move forward too quickly,” said Michael
Stephenson, Hanki’s attorney. “In the interest of public safety, they
must make sure they are adequately testing and refining their technology
before subjecting the public to these cars.”
Hanki said she’s not against self-driving technology, but believes
there’s a “gap in accountability.” She said she suffered a brain injury,
along with spine and soft tissue damage, and the crash has kept her out
of work and off bikes.
“I have yet to touch a bicycle because I am afraid of revisiting the
same experience,” she said. “I feel anxious, stressed, and unsafe.
Before the crash, cycling was a source of joy and freedom; now how it
feels like I’ve lost that part of myself.”
The incident has subtle similarities to an incident involving a
driverless Cruise robotaxi on Market Street in 2023. In that incident, a
car driven by a human struck a jaywalking pedestrian, causing the person
to ricochet into the path of an oncoming Cruise car, which dragged the
person before stopping. Cruise has not operated its driverless vehicles
in the city since the incident.
Suit by S.F. cyclist ‘doored’ by driverless Waymo says safety system failed
By Matthias Gafni, Investigative Reporter
Updated June 20, 2025 10:32 a.m.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/s-f-cyclist-sues-waymo-doored-robotaxi-20385289.php
Jenifer Hanki was cycling down Seventh Street in San Francisco when an
autonomous Waymo pulled into her marked bike lane and a passenger popped
open a back door, colliding with her bike and ejecting her into the side
of a second Waymo also pulling into the bicycle pathway, according to a
lawsuit.
Hanki alleges the company’s Safe Exit system, designed to warn
passengers of such incoming hazards, failed in the February crash. She
sued Mountain View-based Waymo and its parent company, Alphabet, this
month in San Francisco County Superior Court alleging battery, emotional
distress and negligence while seeking unspecified damages.
“Unlike Uber, Lyft, or taxis, where drivers actively monitor traffic and
often lock doors or guide passengers to exit safely, Waymo’s system fell
short significantly,” Hanki said in a released statement. “There was no
alert issued in the illegally parked car as according to the passengers.
Human drivers prevent accidents every day by assessing real-time risks,
something Waymo’s ‘Safe Exit’ system clearly cannot handle.”
Waymo wouldn’t comment on the lawsuit, but pointed to its own safety
data which it said records 78% fewer injuries caused by collisions
compared with human drivers covering the same distance in the cities it
serves.
“Waymo is committed to improving road safety for both our riders and
other road users,” a spokesperson said Friday morning. “In addition to
traditional base vehicle features, Waymo provides riders and nearby road
users with supplementary alerts to help give them additional information
about approaching vehicles during pickups and drop-offs.”
The crash happened Feb. 16, just after noon, as Hanki pedaled to her
apartment, traveling northwest on Seventh Street between Stevenson and
Market streets in a marked bike lane, the lawsuit says. A Waymo carrying
four passengers pulled over to the right side curb on the one-way street
next to a no-stopping sign, the suit says.
“The curb-side Waymo’s left passenger door suddenly swung open directly
in the bike lane,” Hanki said. “I had no room or time to swerve. With no
room or time to react, I crashed violently into the door and interior.”
The 26-year-old said she flew into a second Waymo and landed on the
ground “disoriented and overwhelmed.”
“As there were no human drivers in Waymo’s vehicles, it exacerbated the
chaos,” she said. “The passengers were visibly confused, the two Waymos
remained as they were, obstructing both the bike lane and regular
oncoming traffic.”
Hanki said the passengers told her it was their first Waymo ride, and
they were unsure how to report the incident. They shrugged and left the
scene after a few minutes, she said. Other witnesses called 911.
An ambulance took Hanki to a hospital with “serious bodily injuries,”
the suit says.
Among the safety systems marketed by Waymo is its Safe Exit, which is
“supposed to be designed to detect nearby cyclists and pedestrians and
notify disembarking passengers to avoid collisions,” he suit alleges.
Hanki said the system failed and that the company long knew its cars
were “dooring” cyclists.
“As technology moves forward, we believe it is crucial for all
autonomous car companies to not move forward too quickly,” said Michael
Stephenson, Hanki’s attorney. “In the interest of public safety, they
must make sure they are adequately testing and refining their technology
before subjecting the public to these cars.”
Hanki said she’s not against self-driving technology, but believes
there’s a “gap in accountability.” She said she suffered a brain injury,
along with spine and soft tissue damage, and the crash has kept her out
of work and off bikes.
“I have yet to touch a bicycle because I am afraid of revisiting the
same experience,” she said. “I feel anxious, stressed, and unsafe.
Before the crash, cycling was a source of joy and freedom; now how it
feels like I’ve lost that part of myself.”
The incident has subtle similarities to an incident involving a
driverless Cruise robotaxi on Market Street in 2023. In that incident, a
car driven by a human struck a jaywalking pedestrian, causing the person
to ricochet into the path of an oncoming Cruise car, which dragged the
person before stopping. Cruise has not operated its driverless vehicles
in the city since the incident.
Serge Issakov
Jun 20, 2025, 3:33:33 PM6/20/25
to sc...@wiredmuse.com, cabo...@googlegroups.com
An edge case was bound to happen. This is one. It's too bad for the victim, and she should be compensated, but Waymo would improve their Safe Exit system accordingly regardless. Now they've got a few more scenarios to add to their testing suite.
There's only so much they can anticipate in advance and train their systems accordingly. They're years past the point of needing real word experiences, like this one.
Something similar could easily have happened with human-driven vehicles, and has happened countless times before. Still, given all the public acrimony about self-driving tech, a jury trial could be tough. Voir dire is going to be critical, for both sides.
Serge
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Scott Mace
Jun 20, 2025, 5:02:45 PM6/20/25
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On a Bay Area mobility Slack group discussing this lawsuit, commenters are pointing fingers at door zone bike lanes, which is a good thing to attack for many reasons. But I'm sure someone will attack all unprotected bike lanes while they're at it.
Scott
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Michael Graff
Jun 20, 2025, 5:25:29 PM6/20/25
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In Google Maps Street View, the block of 7th between Stevenson and Market is short, with two different curb rules
The first ~50 feet is no stopping except 6 wheel commercial vehicles for 30 minutes, next to the final 50 feet of the door zone bike lane
After that is a "bike lane end" sign and a "passenger loading only" sign. The striping changes to an ordinary travel lane at that spot
The curb is not painted red. The only indication of the stopping rules is fine print on signs
Did the Waymo stop in the first 50 feet (dzbl + commercial stopping) or in the rest of the block (travel lane + passenger loading)? Can Waymo cameras read the fine print on "no stopping, except" signs? (For that matter, could a human read those signs while driving?)
It seems like this block is almost perfectly designed to create conflicts and failure modes.
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Steven Hansen
Jun 20, 2025, 5:35:06 PM6/20/25
to CABOforum
Bike Lanes in Long Beach not designed by the smartest people. and Surely by people that dont use them. Plastic bollards dont stop cars. only mess up bike riders and give them a false sense of safety
Gary Cziko
Jun 20, 2025, 6:52:40 PM6/20/25
to swh...@gmail.com, CABOforum
This is a common crash risk that a savvy cyclist can easily avoid by staying at least five feet away from curb-parked vehicles.
--Gary
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David Whiteman
Jun 20, 2025, 8:33:26 PM6/20/25
to sc...@wiredmuse.com, cabo...@googlegroups.com
If the passengers left the scene within a few minutes does that make it a hit and run? They did not call anyone nor presumably offer aid. They had to have a phone with them in order to use the Waymo app.
On Fri, Jun 20, 2025 at 11:51 AM Scott Mace <sc...@wiredmuse.com> wrote:
Serge Issakov
Jun 20, 2025, 8:47:31 PM6/20/25
to michae...@pobox.com, sc...@wiredmuse.com, cabo...@googlegroups.com
> Can Waymo cameras read the fine print on "no stopping, except" signs?
It is my understanding that Waymo limits itself to relatively small areas because they are specifically trained on all the specific nuances of that area, which should include details of parking regulations at particular spots.
It is my understanding that Waymo limits itself to relatively small areas because they are specifically trained on all the specific nuances of that area, which should include details of parking regulations at particular spots.
This is in stark contrast to Tesla's approach, which is shooting for relying on generalized "knowledge" to apply sufficiently everywhere. My money, literally, is on Waymo.
Serge
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