What to Do After a Collision with an Autonomous Vehicle in Georgia

Getting in any type of car accident can be a stressful experience and leave you with significant injuries and property damage. However, getting in an accident with an autonomous vehicle can be even more stressful, as it’s often unclear to victims exactly who is liable for their medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and other losses.

As autonomous vehicles slowly make their way onto Georgia’s roads, the chances of getting in an accident involving one, whether as a motorist, pedestrian, or occupant of an autonomous vehicle, increase. For that reason, it’s important to know what to do after a collision with an autonomous vehicle in Georgia. Contact The Scott Pryor Law Group today!

Understanding Autonomous Vehicles on Georgia Roads in 2025

Starting in the summer of 2025, Waymo launched a fleet of autonomous vehicles in and around Atlanta, Georgia. These vehicles operate through Uber’s app and are entirely autonomous, unlike vehicles owned by private citizens.

When a privately owned Tesla is involved in a collision while in Autopilot mode, the at-fault party is typically the vehicle’s driver, Tesla, or a combination of the two; however, with fully autonomous vehicles, there is no driver, so the at-fault parties are usually the companies responsible for the vehicle’s operation, which could be Waymo and Uber.

While it can be daunting to seek compensation from large companies such as these following an accident, they are required to have significantly more liability insurance than an individual, which can make recovering the compensation you need easier in some ways.

Immediate Steps to Take After an Autonomous Vehicle Collision

Understanding what to do after a collision with an autonomous vehicle in Georgia can make a significant difference in your ability to recover compensation for your injuries. Some of the most critical steps to take immediately following the autonomous car accident are:

Move to a safe location off the road to avoid being struck by another vehicle.
Check yourself and the other individuals involved in the crash for injuries.
Report the accident to the police and have them come out to the scene. You will likely need a copy of the responding officer’s crash report when filing an auto insurance claim.
Seek immediate medical treatment for any injuries you have. Even if you feel fine, you should always get checked by an EMT or doctor to determine if your adrenaline following the crash is masking underlying injuries.
Document the accident scene by taking photographs of the damaged vehicles and the road conditions, and gathering contact information from any witnesses.
File a report with the autonomous vehicle’s owner, such as Waymo or Uber.

Documenting an Autonomous Vehicle Accident Scene

Documenting an autonomous vehicle accident scene begins with taking photographs and videos of the vehicles and road conditions.

When taking photographs of the vehicles involved in the accident, make sure that you capture all the damage done to the vehicles and their final positions following the collision. When documenting the road conditions, you’ll want photographs of skid marks on the road, road lines, traffic signs, traffic signals, and any other conditions that could have contributed to the accident, such as blind turns.

If there are any nearby traffic or security cameras, it may also be a good idea to photograph them so that your lawyer knows their locations and can attempt to obtain the footage from them. This footage can be vital for the success of your case.

Lastly, if there were any eyewitnesses, you’ll want to write down their names and contact information. Your lawyer will use this information to follow up with them later on to collect their statements.

Understanding Liability in Georgia Autonomous Vehicle Accidents

Georgia follows a modified comparative negligence rule to determine liability in car accident cases. Under this rule, victims can only seek compensation if they are less than 50 percent at fault for the accident. And any compensation they recover through a trial will be reduced by a percentage equal to their degree of fault.

Additionally, several parties can be at fault for the same accident, including the driver of another vehicle, the autonomous vehicle’s owner, and the vehicle’s manufacturer. In many autonomous vehicle accidents in Georgia, this means Waymo and Uber could be liable for accidents caused by the vehicles they manufacture and operate.

Under Georgia Code Section 40-1-166, autonomous vehicles used as part of a fleet must have at least the following liability insurance:

$300,000 per accident for bodily injury
$100,000 per person for bodily injury
$50,000 per accident for property damage

Additionally, Uber provides the following insurance coverage for all vehicles using its app when they are online and available for a trip:

$100,000 per accident for bodily injury
$50,000 per person for bodily injury
$25,000 per accident for property damage

If the Uber vehicle is en route or on a trip, the insurance coverage increases to $1,000,000 for bodily injury and property damage combined.

Georgia-Specific Laws and Regulations for Autonomous Vehicles

According to Georgia Code Section 40-8-11, fully autonomous vehicles are allowed on public roads as long as they:

Meet the state’s safety standards
Can remain at the scene following a crash
Have failsafes in place in the event that an issue occurs
Are properly insured
Are registered with the state as fully autonomous vehicles

In addition to these rules for autonomous vehicle operators, occupants must also wear proper seatbelts or other restraints when riding in autonomous vehicles.

Call The Scott Pryor Law Group Today

If you were in an accident involving an autonomous vehicle in Georgia, you need to call The Scott Pryor Law Group for a free case evaluation.

U.S. Marine veteran Scott Pryor founded The Scott Pryor Law Group with the goal of fighting for just compensation for accident victims and their loved ones. The firm has been recognized as one of the Top 1% of Trial Attorneys by the Litigator Awards and has recovered multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for our clients.

During your initial consultation, we’ll review the incident that caused your injuries, explain your options for seeking compensation, walk you through what to expect from your case, and answer any questions you have.

Image via Scott Greer, used with Unsplash License

Scott Pryor

Managing Attorney | CEO

Scott is a U.S. Marine Veteran. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and is listed in the top 1% of trial attorneys in the nation by the Litigator Awards. He is also a member of Super Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association—Champion Level and sits on the Communications Committee of GTLA and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.