Waymo is now approved for driverless operation in Burbank. When an autonomous vehicle injures you, there is no driver to hold accountable — there is a corporation whose legal team was building its defense before you left the scene. Our job is to make sure that advantage doesn't hold.
The crash happened in seconds. What follows is unlike any conventional car accident claim — the ER visit, the follow-up appointments, the missed work, and then the discovery that there is no individual driver to pursue. Instead, there is Waymo — a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. — or a vehicle manufacturer whose position is that the technology performed exactly as designed. These defendants do not settle out of inconvenience. They have permanent engineering teams, national defense counsel, and insurance infrastructure built to limit what injured people recover.
Waymo was approved by the California DMV for driverless testing and deployment in Burbank as part of its November 2025 geographic expansion across Los Angeles County. That approval is current and active. Waymo robotaxis are on Burbank streets now — on Hollywood Way past the Burbank Airport and the Warner Bros. studio lot, along Victory Boulevard, Magnolia Boulevard, Olive Avenue, and the commercial and residential corridors that connect Burbank to Glendale and the 134 Freeway. The 5 Freeway runs directly through Burbank carrying thousands of daily trips; the 134 connects Burbank east to Glendale and Pasadena. These are the corridors where autonomous vehicle encounters with Burbank residents, entertainment industry workers, and airport commuters are occurring.
When a self-driving vehicle causes an accident in Burbank, the evidence that determines who is responsible — sensor logs, camera footage, software event records, and over-the-air update history — is stored on the vehicle’s systems and in the company’s cloud infrastructure. It is proprietary. Getting access to it requires a formal preservation demand sent the day of the crash. Every day without one is a day the evidence becomes harder to obtain and easier for the company to classify as protected.
You generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim (CCP §335.1). The clock starts the moment the crash happens.
01
In a conventional car accident, liability falls on the at-fault driver. When a Waymo robotaxi is operating without a human driver in Burbank — as California DMV’s driverless deployment approval permits — liability runs directly to Waymo and potentially to the vehicle’s manufacturer. California law allows you to pursue every responsible party simultaneously. Identifying all of them requires immediate action before evidence is overwritten or reclassified as proprietary trade secret.
02
If the autonomous system caused the crash through a sensor failure, software defect, mapping error, or a decision that fell below the standard of reasonable and lawful conduct under California traffic law, the manufacturer can be held liable under California product liability law. You do not need to prove negligence in the conventional sense — only that the product was defective and that defect caused your injury. This is often a stronger legal theory than negligence and is why these cases must be built differently from day one.
03
Waymo maintains $5,000,000 in third-party liability coverage per incident — covering passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers of other vehicles anywhere in its approved operating area, including Burbank. That coverage exists. What is contested is whether Waymo acknowledges its vehicle caused the injury and what the full value of your injuries represents. Waymo does not settle casually. The case needs to be built for trial to change that.
04
Under California Vehicle Code §38750 and the DMV’s autonomous vehicle regulations, manufacturers operating AVs in California must report every collision to the DMV within 10 days. These reports — along with the vehicle’s sensor data, camera footage, software event logs, and OTA update history — are discoverable in litigation. We request them the same day you retain us. Waiting makes them progressively harder to access.
2
years
from date of the accident
CCP §335.1
6
months
to file a government tort claim
* These are general deadlines. Always confirm your specific circumstances with an experienced attorney.
Every autonomous vehicle accident in Burbank has a different liability structure, evidence profile, and corporate defendant. We handle all of them.
As a passenger in an active Waymo trip in Burbank, the company's $5,000,000 liability policy is available to you automatically. You do not need to prove fault. What matters is the complete documentation of your injuries and whether Waymo's position — if they make one — reflects what the case is actually worth. Waymo does not make generous initial offers. We build the medical record, issue same-day preservation demands for the vehicle's sensor and camera data, and push back with a clear willingness to file in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Burbank's primary traffic corridors place Waymo vehicles in constant interaction with commuters, studio employees, and airport travelers. Hollywood Way from Burbank Airport through the Warner Bros. and Disney studio corridor is one of the highest-traffic routes in the city — and one of the most complex navigation environments for an autonomous system, with pedestrian crossings, delivery vehicles, and irregular traffic patterns at studio gates. Victory Boulevard, Magnolia Boulevard, and the Olive Avenue corridor through central Burbank carry similar traffic complexity. When a Waymo vehicle causes a collision in any of these corridors, we subpoena the sensor logs and camera footage the same day you retain us.
Burbank's pedestrian density is highest along the Magnolia Boulevard dining and retail corridor, the Burbank Town Center area around Burbank Boulevard, and the sidewalks and crosswalks adjacent to the entertainment studio complexes. Cyclists moving through the residential streets of Burbank's east side and along the Chandler Bikeway face increasing interaction with autonomous vehicles approved to operate at all hours. When an AV fails to yield at a crosswalk, misjudges a pedestrian's path, or makes a left turn across a cyclist's lane, the legal standard is identical to any other vehicle — and proving it requires the vehicle's own data, which requires an attorney acting from the day of the crash.
Tesla vehicles operating in Autopilot or Full Self-Driving mode on the 5 Freeway through Burbank and on the city's surface streets represent a significant and growing share of autonomous vehicle-related incidents in the area. These cases involve both product liability against Tesla and potential negligence by the human driver who activated or failed to monitor the system. California requires Tesla to report AV-related crashes to the DMV — those reports, combined with the vehicle's event data recorder and Autopilot logs, form the evidentiary core of the claim. We build on both liability tracks simultaneously.
Hollywood Way approaching Bob Hope Airport is one of the highest-volume vehicle corridors in Burbank — rideshare pickups, rental car shuttles, taxi traffic, and now Waymo vehicles all converge on the same stretch. AV incidents on Hollywood Way between the airport and the 5 Freeway involve a CHP/Burbank PD jurisdiction overlap that must be navigated carefully from the first report. We identify the correct jurisdiction, secure the correct incident report, and send preservation demands for any available airport or roadway surveillance footage immediately.
Autonomous delivery robots and low-speed delivery vehicles operate under California DMV permits in Los Angeles County. When one strikes a pedestrian on a Burbank sidewalk, causes a cyclist to swerve near a studio gate, or blocks an accessible pathway, both the operating company and the device manufacturer are potentially liable. These cases resolve aggressively when an attorney is involved — companies are acutely aware of the reputational exposure in a city as media-visible as Burbank.
The attorney on the other side of a Waymo or Tesla claim in Burbank is not a local adjuster working from a claims desk. It is a corporate legal team that handles these cases systematically and is not moved by demand letters alone. Trial preparation moves these defendants. Every case we take is built from the first meeting as though it will be presented to a jury in Los Angeles County Superior Court. We are based three miles away in Glendale. We know these roads. And we build every case that way.
You focus on your recovery. We handle everything else.
George works directly with every client from the first call through resolution — not a case manager, not a paralegal. When Waymo's legal team is processing your case as one of thousands, you need your attorney on the line, not a voicemail.
Waymo's sensor logs, camera footage, and software event records are stored in systems the company controls. We send formal preservation demands the day you retain us. This is almost always the most time-sensitive step in any Burbank autonomous vehicle case.
If we don't recover for you, you owe nothing. Zero out-of-pocket cost to start. Our interests are aligned with yours at every point in the case.
Our office is at 613 E Glenoaks Boulevard — directly on the same 5/134 corridor that connects our office to Burbank. We know Hollywood Way, Victory Boulevard, and the studio corridors.
California law allows injured victims to recover every category of loss caused by the autonomous vehicle and the company behind it. We build claims that account for all of them — including future costs and categories that AV companies and their insurers never voluntarily include in initial positions.
After a self-driving car accident in Burbank, multiple insurance policies may apply. Most people focus on the AV company’s policy — but that is rarely the complete picture.
We identify every potentially applicable coverage layer in every case. Missing one in a Burbank autonomous vehicle claim is leaving significant money behind.
| Court House Lawyers | Typical PI Firm | |
|---|---|---|
|
Case Review |
Same day, often within hours |
2–3 business days |
|
Attorney Access |
You speak directly with the attorney on your case |
Routed through a case manager or paralegal |
|
Local Proximity |
Based at 613 E Glenoaks Blvd, Glendale — three miles from Burbank on the same 5/134 corridor |
Firms targeting Burbank from LA offices with no genuine local knowledge of Hollywood Way, Victory Blvd, or the studio corridors |
|
Evidence Preservation |
Same-day preservation demands for sensor data, camera footage, software logs, and DMV incident reports |
Often delayed — AV proprietary data becomes harder to access with every passing day |
|
Liability Investigation |
We identify every responsible party: AV operator, manufacturer, third-party driver, government entity |
Many firms pursue only the most obvious defendant |
|
Waymo-Burbank Knowledge |
We know Waymo is DMV-approved for Burbank as of November 2025 and what that means for evidence, coverage, and liability |
Most firms serving Burbank have no dedicated Burbank AV page and no specific local knowledge |
|
Trial Readiness |
Every case prepared for trial; AV companies know it |
Settlement-only firms get lower offers from corporate tech defendants |
|
Fees |
No win, no fees. Period. |
Can say the same, but watch for hidden costs at settlement |
George Mkrtchyan
Managing Attorney
George Mkrtchyan is the Managing Attorney of Court House Lawyers, a Glendale personal injury firm located three miles from Burbank on Glenoaks Boulevard. Over the past decade, George has recovered millions for clients in car accident, rideshare, pedestrian, and product liability cases across Glendale, Burbank, and Los Angeles County — including cases involving major corporations, government entities, and insurers that denied all liability until litigation made the alternative more expensive.
Before opening Court House Lawyers, George worked at a large Century City firm where he saw firsthand what happens when personal injury cases are treated as volume: files sit untouched, clients go months without updates, and claims settle for far less than their actual value because nobody built them. He opened Court House Lawyers in Glendale so every client speaks directly with the attorney on their case — not a paralegal, not a case manager — and every case is prepared as though it is going to trial.
Autonomous vehicle cases are personal injury cases with a more sophisticated defendant. The same principles apply: preserve the evidence immediately, build the medical record completely, identify every liable party, and be prepared to litigate if the offer does not reflect what the case is worth. The fact that Waymo now holds a specific DMV driverless deployment approval for Burbank makes this a local reality — not an abstract technology question — and it requires an attorney who treats it that way from day one.
“Waymo is approved for Burbank’s streets specifically. When their vehicle injures you, they will present their own data and tell you the technology worked correctly. Our job is to make sure the independent evidence tells the real story.”
Every case is different. These results illustrate what focused, thorough representation delivers.
Personal Injury · Car Accident
Client was initially assigned 85% fault in a left-turn collision. After George and case manager Grant Abadzhyan took over, the fault assignment was reversed to zero and the client recovered full compensation.
Personal Injury · Car Accident
Three people were injured in the same accident. One represented by Court House Lawyers. One by a big Personal Injury Firm in LA; and one without an attorney. Our client received the largest individual recovery of the three — the result of aggressive early documentation and a client-first strategy.
Personal Injury · Rideshare
Client injured in an Uber accident initially received nothing from the insurer. Court House Lawyers secured a $35,000 settlement within 30 days of filing a lawsuit.
Personal Injury · UIM Arbitration
Out-of-state underinsured motorist policy. The insurer refused to pay fairly. Court House Lawyers demanded arbitration and secured the full policy limits for the client.
Personal Injury · Government Entity
A wheelchair-bound client was thrown forward when a Metro conductor slammed on the brakes. Metro denied the claim outright. Court House Lawyers filed, obtained the conductor’s own footage — including a statement caught on Metro’s camera — and settled for $35,000.
Personal Injury · Car Accident
Client was offered $500 after a school bus accident. Court House Lawyers filed suit and recovered $50,000 — 100x the original offer.
Past results are specific to the facts of each case and do not guarantee future outcomes. Every matter is evaluated on its own merits.
Tell us what happened, which vehicle and company were involved, your injuries, and what information you have. We will tell you what the case is worth, who is liable, what evidence needs to be preserved immediately, and what to do next — even if you decide not to hire us.
George handles your case. Not a junior associate. Not a case manager. The attorney you speak with on day one is the attorney who takes the case to resolution. Against a corporate legal team that processes AV claims systematically, that continuity is not optional.
Waymo's sensor data, camera footage, and software event logs are held in systems the company controls. We send formal preservation demands the day you retain us. In Burbank — where the studio corridor on Hollywood Way has significant private surveillance coverage and Burbank Airport has its own camera infrastructure — we also request third-party footage simultaneously.
Burbank AV accidents can involve Waymo, the vehicle manufacturer, a third-party driver, and in some cases the City of Burbank or Caltrans if a road condition or signal failure contributed. We identify every defendant and every insurance policy from the start.
We document your injuries, medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering — and we present that to every applicable insurer with full case preparation and a clear willingness to file in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
If you need specialist care and cannot afford it upfront, we connect you with experienced providers in Burbank, Glendale, and the surrounding area who treat accident victims on a lien basis — no cost until the case resolves.
If the manufacturer or insurer refuses to pay what the case is worth, we file. Every case is prepared from the first meeting as though it will be tried. That preparation is what changes what Waymo and similar defendants are willing to offer before it gets there.
If a City of Burbank road defect, signal malfunction, or Caltrans-maintained freeway condition contributed to the crash, we file the required government tort claim within the six-month window — without exception. Missing this deadline permanently bars that portion of the claim and cannot be corrected after the fact.
No upfront costs of any kind. No hourly billing. If we don't recover for you, you owe us nothing.
We talk through the incident, which vehicle and company were involved, your injuries, and the information you have. You walk away knowing what your claim is worth, who is potentially liable, and what evidence needs to be preserved before another day passes.
We send same-day requests for the autonomous vehicle's sensor data, camera footage, pre-crash event logs, and the DMV incident report filed by the manufacturer. We also request available surveillance footage from the crash location. Along Hollywood Way and the studio corridor, private security and airport surveillance cameras may have captured the incident — footage that disappears within 24 to 72 hours without a preservation demand.
We identify every potentially liable party — Waymo, the vehicle manufacturer, any human safety driver present, any third-party driver, and any government entity whose road condition or signal failure contributed. Each carries separate insurance exposure and separate legal liability.
We build a complete picture of your injuries — current treatment costs, future care needs, impact on your ability to work, and the full non-economic toll. In cases involving serious injury, we work with medical experts to project long-term costs accurately.
We send a comprehensive demand to every applicable insurer and corporate defendant. We push back against lowball responses with complete documentation and a clear willingness to litigate in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
If any defendant refuses to pay what the case is worth, we file. Autonomous vehicle manufacturers respond to the credible threat of a jury evaluating their technology's performance on Burbank's actual DMV-approved operating streets. We are prepared to take it there.
* These are general deadlines. Always confirm your specific circumstances with an experienced attorney.
Even as a pedestrian crossing Magnolia Boulevard or a cyclist on the Chandler Bikeway, your own auto policy may cover you after a self-driving car accident in Burbank.
Call 911 immediately and make sure the responding officer — Burbank PD on surface streets, CHP on the 5 or 134 Freeways — documents that the vehicle was operating autonomously and records the Waymo vehicle’s external ID number and company markings. Photograph the vehicle’s sensor array, the crash scene, and your injuries before anything moves. Do not give a statement to any Waymo representative at the scene. Seek medical attention the same day even if pain is not immediately severe. Then call an attorney before Waymo’s claims team contacts you — they will reach out quickly and their opening position will not favour you.
Yes. Waymo holds a California DMV driverless deployment approval specifically for Burbank as of November 2025, and is fully subject to California personal injury law. If the vehicle’s operation caused your injury, you have a direct claim against Waymo LLC through its $5,000,000 commercial liability policy. Waymo defends these cases with engineering teams and national counsel — the case needs to be built for trial from the first day to move their position.
Depending on what caused the crash, responsibility can fall on Waymo LLC for the vehicle’s operational decisions, the vehicle’s hardware manufacturer if a component failure contributed, or a third-party driver whose conduct forced the vehicle into the collision. California’s pure comparative fault system allows you to pursue every responsible party simultaneously — liability is not a binary question, and identifying all parties from the start is the only way to ensure no coverage layer is missed.
The first priority is evidence preservation. Waymo vehicles record continuous sensor, camera, and software event data, and California’s DMV reporting requirements mean the manufacturer must file a formal collision report within 10 days. But the raw vehicle data is proprietary and requires a formal legal preservation demand and frequently a subpoena to access. Beyond evidence, the key questions are who is liable, what insurance coverage applies, and what the full value of your injuries is. With Waymo specifically, $5,000,000 in third-party coverage per incident is available. Call an attorney before the company’s claims team reaches out.
California law holds autonomous vehicle operators to the same traffic standards as human drivers — the vehicle must operate reasonably and lawfully under the circumstances. When it fails that standard in Burbank, the operator of the vehicle and potentially the hardware or software manufacturer are liable. California product liability law provides a parallel path that does not require proving negligence in the conventional sense — only that the product was defective and caused the injury. We pursue every available theory simultaneously.
Nothing upfront and nothing unless we win. Our fee comes from the recovery at the end of the case. If we do not recover for you, you owe nothing. Call our Glendale office — three miles from Burbank — and we will tell you what the case is worth before you make any decisions.
Report the accident immediately. On Burbank's surface streets — Hollywood Way, Victory Boulevard, Magnolia, Olive Avenue, and the residential grid — the Burbank Police Department responds. On the 5 Freeway or the 134 through Burbank, CHP has jurisdiction. Make sure the responding officer documents that the vehicle was operating autonomously, records the company name, and notes the vehicle's external ID number in the incident report.
There is no human driver to exchange information with in a fully driverless Waymo. Photograph the vehicle's external ID numbers and company markings clearly before it moves. Also photograph the sensor array — the lidar units, cameras, and radar equipment mounted on the vehicle's exterior. Note whether any sensors appear damaged, dirty, or obstructed at the time of the crash.
Some AV vehicles still carry a human backup driver. If one was present, get their name, employer, and contact information. If the vehicle was fully driverless, confirm it and document it.
Vehicle positions, property damage, skid marks, traffic signals, road conditions, and your visible injuries — all before anything moves. Near Hollywood Way and the Burbank Airport corridor, note the locations of airport and studio surveillance cameras. Along the Magnolia Boulevard and Victory Boulevard corridors, commercial security cameras on nearby buildings may have captured the incident. That footage disappears within days.
A company representative may arrive at the scene or contact you afterward. Do not give a statement. Do not accept or sign anything. Tell them you have retained legal representation.
Go to the emergency room or urgent care even if pain is not immediately severe. Adrenaline masks injury. A documented same-day medical assessment is critical evidence and establishes the injury timeline. Follow every follow-up recommendation your doctor makes.
Names and phone numbers of anyone who saw the crash or saw the vehicle behaving erratically before impact. Near Hollywood Way and the Burbank Airport corridor, studio and airport surveillance cameras may also have captured the incident — note the camera locations and tell us immediately so we can send preservation requests.
Call (818) 293-8293 Free, same-day review from our office at 613 E Glenoaks Boulevard, Glendale. We tell you what evidence to preserve, who is liable, and what your claim is worth before you speak with anyone from the company involved.
10
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND SUCCESS
Trusted Burbank self-driving car accident attorney holding Waymo, Tesla, and autonomous vehicle companies accountable — recovering full compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and everything the crash took from you.
You didn’t cause this. You shouldn’t be the one paying for it. Uber, Lyft, and Waymo have legal teams working on your case before you’ve left the scene.
From our Glendale office, we represent self-driving car accident victims across California — including Glendale, Los Angeles, Pasadena, the San Fernando Valley, and statewide. The earlier we get involved, the stronger your case.
Call today. The review is free and there is no obligation.
