A routine Sunday bike ride turned into a collision course with San Francisco's autonomous future when Jenifer Hanki found herself sandwiched between two Waymo robotaxis on Seventh Street, launching a legal battle that could redefine how self-driving cars protect cyclists.
Hanki was pedaling home in February when the first Waymo illegally parked in her bike lane while a passenger flung open the door directly into her path. The impact launched the 26-year-old technology consultant into a second Waymo that was simultaneously moving into the same lane, leaving her with brain and spine injuries that have kept her off bikes for months.
Now she's suing Waymo and parent company Alphabet, alleging that the company's much-promoted "Safe Exit" safety system completely failed when it mattered most. The San Francisco Chronicle reports the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for battery, emotional distress, and negligence.
High-Tech Meets Hard Reality
The February 16 crash unfolded in textbook fashion in the final block before Market Street. Hanki was cycling in a marked bike lane just after noon when the first Waymo pulled over next to a no-stopping sign with four passengers inside.
"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."
What happened next perfectly captured the awkwardness of our robot car transition period. The passengers, experiencing their first Waymo ride, seemed genuinely confused about how to report the incident. According to Futurism, they essentially shrugged and left after a few minutes while both robotaxis continued blocking traffic and Hanki waited for an ambulance.
The Safety System That Wasn't Safe
Here's where the story gets particularly frustrating for anyone who's been sold on the promise of safer autonomous vehicles. Waymo's Safe Exit feature exists specifically to prevent this exact scenario. The company's own blog explains that the system uses advanced sensors to provide "explicit audio and visual alerts that inform passengers when a cyclist or other road user is approaching."
The passengers told Hanki they received zero alerts. No beeps, no warnings, no gentle robotic suggestion that opening the door might not be the best idea. The lawsuit alleges either "a malfunction, failure to engage, or design flaw" in technology that was supposed to make dooring a thing of the past.
This isn't some edge case, either. The San Francisco Standard reports that dooring incidents averaged 55 injuries per year from 2014 to 2019, making them the second most common cause of cyclist injuries and deaths in the city. Electrek reported that Waymo introduced Safe Exit in May 2023 specifically to tackle this well-documented urban hazard.
Legal Firepower Enters the Chat
Hanki didn't hire just any attorney—she brought in Michael Stephenson, the founder of Bay Area Bicycle Law who's made a career out of cases exactly like this one. According to his firm, Stephenson graduated top of his class from the University of Oregon Law School, then left a prestigious position at a major law firm to focus exclusively on representing cyclists.
His credentials include membership in the National Trial Lawyers' "Top 40 Under 40" and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum—the kind of resume that makes corporate legal teams take notice. Stephenson's take on the case cuts straight to the heart of Silicon Valley's "move fast and break things" mentality: "As technology moves forward, we believe it is crucial for all autonomous car companies to not move forward too quickly," he said. "They must make sure they are adequately testing and refining their technology before subjecting the public to these cars."
Not Waymo's First Rodeo
This collision fits into a concerning pattern. The San Francisco Standard documented another Waymo-cyclist incident in February 2024 at 17th and Mississippi streets, where the company claimed the cyclist was "occluded by a truck."
The broader numbers tell an interesting story. NHTSA data analyzed by DiMarco Araujo Montevideo shows 696 Waymo-involved accidents between 2021 and 2024, resulting in 47 injuries. This year has already racked up 137 additional incidents, including one fatality.
The Bigger Picture
The lawsuit arrives as Waymo rapidly expands across the Bay Area while juggling various operational challenges that make you wonder if we're really ready for this technology—or if it's ready for us. ABC7 has documented everything from vandalism to technical glitches as San Francisco continues serving as a real-world testing lab for autonomous vehicles.
Meanwhile, the city's cycling safety story remains complicated despite infrastructure wins. San Francisco nearly doubled its protected bikeway miles to 52 between 2020 and 2024, yet dooring dangers persist across vehicle types. The Standard notes that cyclist Steven Bassett died in May 2024 after colliding with a city utility truck door.
For Hanki, the consequences reach far beyond legal proceedings. "I have yet to touch a bicycle because I am afraid of revisiting the same experience," she said. "Before the crash, cycling was a source of joy and freedom; now it feels like I've lost that part of myself."
What's Really at Stake
This case could establish crucial precedents for autonomous vehicle liability as these cars become fixtures on city streets. Courthouse News Service reports the complaint seeks a jury trial, raising complex questions about responsibility when automated safety systems fail to protect vulnerable road users.
The legal foundation appears solid. Bay Area News Group reports that the responding officer concluded the collision resulted from a passenger "opening a door unsafely into traffic," citing California Vehicle Code section 22517—proving that basic traffic laws still apply, even when the car drives itself.
Waymo's response has been predictably corporate: declining to comment on specifics while pointing to safety data claiming 78% fewer injuries compared to human drivers. The company maintains it's "committed to improving road safety for both our riders and other road users," though you'd think that commitment might start with ensuring their safety systems actually work as advertised.
As San Francisco continues hosting the autonomous vehicle experiment, this case will likely attract close attention from anyone wondering whether all those sensors and algorithms can truly protect cyclists and pedestrians—the city's most vulnerable road users. So far, the answer seems to be "usually," which isn't exactly the reassurance you'd hope for from our supposedly safer robotic future.
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