Waymo Robotaxis in Miami: Safety, Insurance, Liability & What Florida Riders Need to Know (2025 Guide)

Driverless vehicles are no longer a futuristic promise—they are appearing on Miami streets right now. Waymo, the autonomous vehicle division of Alphabet (Google), is preparing to expand its fully driverless ride-hailing service into South Florida. After years of testing and operations in cities like Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, Miami is the next major market.

With that expansion comes important questions for Miami residents:

• Are Waymo vehicles actually safer than human drivers?
• What insurance applies if a Waymo is involved in a crash?
• Does Florida treat a robotaxi like Uber, Lyft, or a taxicab?
• Will Waymo passengers have uninsured motorist protection (UM/UIM)?
• What should an injured person do if a Waymo hits their car, bicycle, or injures them as a pedestrian?

At Wolfson & Leon, our Miami autonomous vehicle accident lawyers help injured victims understand their rights after collisions involving new and emerging transportation technologies. Below is a clear, accurate breakdown of what you need to know based on verified data and Florida law.

1. How Safe Are Waymo Robotaxis? The Data Is Extremely Important

Waymo’s Own Safety Reports

Waymo publishes Safety Impact Reports documenting millions of fully autonomous miles. Those reports generally show lower crash rates compared to human drivers in similar environments.

However, independent research is far more valuable.

Independent Peer-Reviewed Study (56.7 Million “Rider-Only” Miles)

One of the most significant studies examined 56.7 million miles of Waymo “rider-only” operations—meaning no human safety driver was behind the wheel.

The findings were striking:

✔ 80% reduction in injury-producing crashes

• Waymo: 0.6 per million miles
• Humans: 2.8 per million miles

✔ Up to 96% fewer intersection crash types

✔ 82–92% fewer pedestrian, bicycle, and motorcycle injuries

✔ Waymo did not perform worse in any evaluated crash category

These statistics matter for Miami residents. While no vehicle eliminates risk, the best available data shows that Waymo’s autonomous fleet performs significantly better than human drivers across nearly every crash type.

Still—crashes can and do occur, and victims have legal rights.

2. Florida’s Insurance System: What Every Miami Driver Should Understand

Florida is a no-fault insurance state.

This means every registered vehicle must carry:

• $10,000 Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
• $10,000 Property Damage Liability (PDL)

Florida does not require bodily injury (BI) coverage for most private drivers. As a result, many people injured in crashes must rely on:

• their own PIP,
• the other driver’s BI coverage (if they have any), and
• their own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage.

For serious injuries, UM/UIM is often the only meaningful protection.

UM/UIM Is Optional — But Crucial in Miami

Because so many Florida drivers carry low or no BI coverage, UM/UIM becomes extremely important, especially when new technologies like autonomous vehicles enter the picture.

If you are injured in a Waymo crash, compensation may come from:

• Waymo’s commercial liability policy,
• your own UM/UIM policy, or
• a combination of both.

If Waymo rejects UM/UIM (more on this below), your own UM/UIM may determine whether you can recover damages for:

• medical treatments
• surgeries
• lost income
• pain and suffering
• permanent disability
• future care

This is one of the most important takeaways for Miami residents.

3. How Florida Classifies Waymo: Not a Taxi, Not an Uber — A Unique AV Network

Many people assume Waymo is either:

• a taxicab service, or
• a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft.

Legally, Waymo is neither.

Florida created a special statutory category for autonomous fleets:

“On-Demand Autonomous Vehicle Network”

(See Florida Statutes § 316.85)

Under this framework, Waymo is governed by:

• § 316.85 – operational rules for fully autonomous vehicles
• § 627.748 – TNC (Uber/Lyft) structure for ride-hail services
• § 627.749 – AV-specific insurance requirements

This combined system ensures that AV fleets have consistent insurance, operational rules, and liability structures while recognizing that no human driver is present.

4. Waymo Insurance Requirements in Florida (What the Law Actually Requires)

Florida’s AV statute—§ 627.749—controls how autonomous vehicle fleets must be insured.

According to the law, a fully autonomous vehicle operating in an on-demand AV network must carry:

✔ At least $1,000,000 in primary liability coverage

Covers bodily injury, death, and property damage.

✔ Mandatory PIP coverage

Just like every other vehicle in Florida.

✔ UM/UIM must be offered, but may be rejected

This is where many articles (and even lawyers) make incorrect assumptions.

Florida’s UM/UIM statute (§ 627.727) requires every insurer to offer UM/UIM coverage.
However, it also allows the named insured to reject UM/UIM in writing.

❗ Therefore: Waymo is legally permitted to reject UM/UIM coverage.

This is important because:

• Many people mistakenly think autonomous fleets must carry UM/UIM.
• The statute does not mandate UM/UIM.
• Waymo may choose to reject UM/UIM to reduce premiums—just as Uber and Lyft already do in Florida.

So the actual mandatory coverages for Waymo are:

• $1,000,000 liability
• PIP
• Continuous coverage while the vehicle operates

UM/UIM remains optional—and this has serious implications for injured victims.

5. Why Traditional Taxi Insurance Requirements Do Not Apply

Traditional taxi/livery vehicles in Florida must carry:

• $125,000 BI per person
• $250,000 BI per accident
• $50,000 PDL
  or
• $300,000 combined single limit

But Waymo vehicles are not:

• licensed as taxis
• regulated under municipal taxi ordinances
• classified under the same insurance rules

The AV statute supersedes traditional for-hire classifications for autonomous fleets.

Therefore, Waymo follows:

• the $1 million AV requirement,
• the TNC ride-hail framework, and
• AV-specific liability rules.

6. What Happens If a Waymo Hits You or You’re Hurt as a Passenger?

Crashes involving autonomous vehicles introduce questions many Miami residents haven’t faced before.

Below are the most common scenarios.

Scenario A: You Are a Passenger in a Waymo

Your sources of coverage may include:

• Waymo’s $1,000,000 liability policy
• Waymo’s PIP coverage
• Your own UM/UIM (if Waymo rejected UM/UIM)
• Your health insurance

If another driver causes the crash—and they have little or zero BI coverage—your own UM/UIM may become critical.

Scenario B: A Waymo Hits Your Vehicle

You may be able to recover from:

• Waymo’s liability coverage
• Your PIP
• Your UM/UIM (if damages exceed Waymo’s coverage or liability is disputed)

Scenario C: A Waymo Hits You as a Pedestrian or Cyclist

Coverage may include:

• Waymo’s liability policy
• Your PIP (if you own a vehicle)
• Your UM/UIM (if Waymo rejected UM)
• Health insurance

Pedestrians and cyclists often lack PIP and rely heavily on UM/UIM.

7. Taxi vs. Uber/Lyft vs. Waymo: Insurance at a Glance

Category	Taxi/Livery	Uber/Lyft	Waymo Robotaxi
Legal Category	For-hire vehicle	TNC	On-demand AV network
Statute	Local taxi ordinances	§ 627.748	§ 316.85 + § 627.749
Required Liability	125k/250k/50k or 300k CSL	50k/100k/25k → $1M with rider	$1M minimum at all times
PIP Required	Yes	Yes	Yes
UM/UIM Required	No	No (commonly rejected)	Offered, but may be rejected
Human Driver	Yes	Yes	No
Safety Record	Human data	Human data	Much safer in peer-reviewed studies

8. UM/UIM: The Most Important Coverage for Miami Drivers

Because Waymo may legally reject UM/UIM, and because so many Florida drivers lack adequate BI coverage, your own UM/UIM policy becomes essential.

UM/UIM often pays for:

• Medical treatment
• Rehabilitation
• Lost wages
• Disability
• Pain and suffering
• Future medical care

UM/UIM protects you—not the autonomous vehicle company.

Final Thoughts: What Miami Residents Should Know Before Riding in a Waymo

Waymo’s arrival in Miami represents a major shift in transportation. The technology brings impressive safety improvements:

• Lower crash rates
• Lower injury rates
• Fewer pedestrian and cyclist collisions

Yet important realities remain:

• Waymo is NOT required to carry UM/UIM.
• Florida drivers should strongly consider carrying UM/UIM.
• Liability in AV crashes uses a different legal framework.
• Victims often need legal counsel to navigate these unique claims.

Wolfson & Leon is ready to help if you’re injured in any crash involving a Waymo vehicle, whether as a passenger, driver, pedestrian, or cyclist.

Call Wolfson & Leon – Miami Waymo Accident Lawyers

If you were injured in a crash involving a Waymo robotaxi in Miami, Miami Beach, Brickell, Coral Gables, Hialeah, Doral, or anywhere in Miami-Dade County, you deserve experienced legal representation.

Wolfson & Leon has been helping injured victims since 1963. We fight for the compensation you deserve.

Call (305) 285-1115 today for your free consultation.
No fees unless we win.