However, WIRED found an X post uploaded the date of the accident from an account purporting to belong to Piterman: “these waymos are ruining everything. i’m fortunately fine minor concussion but forreal? a bitchass waymo hit me? slammed the brakes? brake checked me in an intersection? nuts @Waymo @Tesla i don’t want a settlement but you two figure out whos at fault, me or the waymo which was EMPTY!! Lol.”
A video posted by the same account that day showed damage to the front of a Tesla matching the description in the lawsuit. In addition to the original reimbursement demand, Waymo is seeking about $137,000 in punitive damages from Piterman.
Meanwhile, Burton is accused of intentionally slashing the tires of 19 Waymo vehicles—including some that were occupied by passengers at the time—in San Francisco over the course of three days late last month. Waymo is seeking $21,898.76 to compensate for towing and new tires, plus no less than $66,000 in punitive damages and other costs. The cars’ cameras captured the alleged slashings.
Last week a judge in the case denied, without specifying a reason, Waymo’s request for a temporary restraining order barring Burton from nearing its vehicles. But Waymo’s request came before she was jailed. The company had contended that she could attack riders, and that without a restraining order, “Waymo will be perceived as a ride-hailing service provider that cannot protect its passengers.”
In the Piterman lawsuit, Waymo’s attorneys wrote that “due to being the first autonomous ride-hailing service, plaintiff is particularly sensitive to reputational critiques relating to safety.” They accused Piterman of defamation with his purported “rekt” post on X, arguing that it “falsely conveys that plaintiff’s vehicles are not safe and that they cause accidents resulting in injuries.”
According to police, San Francisco prosecutors also have charged a 14-year-old boy with setting fire to a Waymo in February. Waymo apparently hasn’t brought a lawsuit against him. But given the two cases the company has brought, anyone contemplating vandalizing a robotaxi should consider themselves on notice.
This story originally appeared on wired.com.
