Waymo has sued two Bay Area residents for intentionally causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage to the company’s driverless taxis in San Francisco, according to court documents.
The lawsuits were filed separately this month in San Francisco Superior Court. One is against a city resident who is already facing criminal charges for allegedly slashing tires and inflicting other carnage on 19 Waymo self-driving cars over a three-day spree in June. The Alphabet subsidiary is also going after an Oakland man who repeatedly rammed a robotaxi with his Tesla in March, the company claims.
The lawsuits were first reported by Wired.
The cases are a sign that Waymo is fighting the backlash its driverless fleet has encountered from some in the city. Waymo began offering driverless ride-hailing services in San Francisco in 2022 and got rid of its waitlist for new users last month.
In a complaint filed July 1, Waymo accuses San Francisco resident Ronaile Burton of slashing tires on 19 of its vehicles from June 24 to June 26, causing nearly $22,000 in damage. The suit alleges Burton “intentionally and unlawfully slashed, punctured and damaged” tires during the period, at times when the robotaxis contained passengers.
The second lawsuit, filed July 16, claims Oakland resident Konstantine Nikka-Sher Piterman intentionally struck a Waymo vehicle twice with his Tesla on March 19. The complaint alleges Piterman ran a stop sign on Division Street near Vermont Street, accelerated to catch up with the robotaxi at Division’s intersection with Ninth Street, then hit it from behind.
When the robotaxi pulled over, Piterman allegedly struck it again before threatening a Waymo team member who responded to the crash. Piterman told a first responder that pain in his leg was due to a “prior sports injury” rather than the crash, the suit says.
That crash caused $46,000 in damages, the suit claims. Waymo also accuses Piterman of defamation for posting false statements about the collision on X, addressing the social platform’s owner, Elon Musk: “lol @elonmusk this @Waymo just rekt me. I was driving, it was empty. I think I’m ok. Leg hurts a tiny bit but head is fine. My car is rekt. Can I pls work 4 u [].”
Both lawsuits seek compensatory and punitive damages. Waymo had requested an injunction to prevent Burton from coming within 50 feet of its vehicles, but a judge denied the request July 15, according to court records.
Burton faces a preliminary hearing Wednesday in the criminal case, a spokesperson with the Public Defender’s Office told The Standard. Burton has pleaded not guilty.
Neither Burton, who was listed in jail custody Wednesday, nor Piterman could immediately be reached for comment. Waymo did not respond to a request for comment.