Delivery Robot Bumps Into 73‑Year‑Old, Lawsuit Sparks Debate Over Liability

When you think about the future of deliveries, you probably picture sleek bots cruising sidewalks while you sip coffee. In reality, the story just unfolded in Phoenix is a little messier.

On a sunny afternoon in 2023, Trudy Perez, a 73‑year‑old parking garage attendant at Arizona State University, was doing her usual rounds when a small, white Starship Technologies robot rolled straight into her path. The bot didn’t just brush past—it struck her, knocked her to the ground and then, as if the first hit wasn’t enough, rolled over her again.

According to a police report, the collision left Perez with a four‑inch gash on her arm, sore back muscles, and lingering mobility issues. She’s now suing the startup for negligence, arguing that the robot’s remote operator failed to keep the vehicle under control.

Starship’s defense, however, sounds eerily familiar: the company claims the injuries were largely the result of Perez’s own negligence and, bizarrely, that many of her ailments existed before the incident. Their lawyers are pulling every “we’re not at fault” lever they can find.

The case, filed in an Arizona court, will first be heard in February. If the jury sides with Perez, it could set an early legal precedent for how we hold autonomous delivery services accountable—a topic that’s becoming increasingly urgent as similar bots pop up in cities from Chicago to San Francisco.

Until then, the debate rages on: should a startup be liable for a robot’s misstep, especially when a human is steering it from a distance? And what safeguards will be required to keep our sidewalks safe for pedestrians of all ages?