An Arizona woman is suing Starship Technologies, a delivery company, after she was allegedly struck by one of its robots in a parking garage in 2023. Trudy Perez, then 73, was working as a parking attendant at an Arizona State University garage when the incident occurred.
Perez claims in her lawsuit that the robot was moving in front of her before it suddenly reversed and collided with her, knocking her to the ground. According to an ASU police report, she was found on the pavement in pain, with a reported 4-inch cut on her left arm. The suit alleges that the robot reversed again after she had fallen.
Perez suffered serious injuries, including a spinal fracture, and her attorneys at the Vrana Law Firm stated that she has sustained "lifelong impairment" as a result of the incident. Her case is scheduled for a jury trial early next year.
Legal experts not involved in the case have noted that robots of this nature are typically required to be monitored remotely by human operators and insured. According to these standards, companies operating such robots are responsible for preventing injuries to others and can be held liable if their robots cause harm. This often includes maintaining insurance coverage of at least $100,000 per robot and ensuring a human is actively monitoring the robot's operation.