Lawsuit says Arizona University Employee Struck, Hurt by Food Delivery Robot

Can You Believe It?

Tempe, AZ (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new lawsuit in Arizona claims a food delivery robot injured an Arizona State University employee.

The lawsuit, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, alleges that a delivery robot injured the employee in 2023. According to the ASU police report, a 73-year-old woman was working at the university as a parking attendant in a garage on the school’s Tempe campus when she was knocked down by a Starship food delivery robot.

Police said the woman was attempting to talk to someone about a parked vehicle when she saw the food delivery robot cross the sidewalk in front of her. The woman allegedly waited for the robot to go by and walked behind it. However, the robot then went into reverse and ran into her and caused her to fall on her back. The robot then attempted to move out of the area, reversing again, and ran into the woman who was still on the ground.

The employee was treated at the scene for a 4-inch laceration near her left elbow. She later complained of back pain and had trouble walking.

ASU police said Starship Technologies provided police with video footage from the robot and asked the woman’s contact information to offer insurance information and “promo codes.”

The injured woman is suing Starship Technologies for liability and negligence. The lawsuit alleges the company failed to operate in a reasonably safe manner and that the robot, which was still being tested at the time, was defective. The lawsuit also alleges an unnamed Starship employee responsible for monitoring the robot was negligent for failing to “exercise control” over the robot. She’s seeking damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and for lost wages.

Starship Technologies argues the woman’s injuries were caused by her own negligence, pre-existing injuries and by a third party. The company said the burden of proof for any breach of duty lies with the plaintiff.

However, under Arizona law, delivery robots are called “personal delivery devices” and have the same rights and responsibilities as pedestrians. Laws in Arizona require robot operators to carry up to $10,000 in general liability insurance.

In South Brunswick, an employee of a Dunkin’ Donuts store was injured when a car crashed into the store.

Authorities said a 22-year-old employee of a South Brunswick, N.J. Dunkin’ Donuts was working when a 60-year-old Dayton, N.J. man lost control of his vehicle on July 11 and crashed into the store. The employee was injured when debris and part of a wall struck her. Police said she suffered cuts and was treated for her injuries. Officials said the store would remain closed until repairs could be made.

In Lancaster County, Neb., a 25-year-old was seriously injured after a skid loader they were operating tipped over.

Hickman Fire and Rescue responded to a call for a single-vehicle crash. StarCare responded to the scene. The driver of the skid loader was the employee of a local landscaping company. The employee was taken to a local hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

In Madill, Okla., a Mid-American Steel and Wire employee fell while working on the roof of the plant.

Madill Fire Department said the worker fell through the roof, dropping nearly 20 feet into the machinery on the factory floor. The employee suffered a deep gash on his head and a possible broken arm. The employee was taken to Alliance Health Madill for evaluation and was later airlifted to Medical City Hospital in Plano, Texas for treatment.

And in Edinburgh, Ind., a store worker was injured after trying to stop shoplifters at an outlet mall.

According to the police, rescue workers were called to the Indiana Premium Outlet Mall, about a store employee who had been hit in the parking lot of the mall. The employee had allegedly followed multiple shoplifters from a store and had been struck by a van with Ohio plates. Witnesses told police there was a second van involved in the incident.

The two vans were found later heading east on State Road 44. The vans fled the police, but one of the vans crashed into multiple vehicles on State Road 44 west of Shelbyville, injuring several people. The vehicle thought to have struck the store worker continued on SR $$. Until spike strips were used to stop it. A woman and a 17-year-old male from Ohio were arrested for the thefts and possibly for the injuries to the store worker.

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