I Was Injured While Grocery Shopping, Can I Sue?

Maybe you saw the headlines. Or maybe a friend told you. Or just maybe you came face to face with one. A bit shocking wasn’t it. Well, since the first announcement of 500 of these things back in January 2019 many people didn’t really know what to expect. Yet, the injuries caused by these things are increasing daily.

Now you might have a vague idea of what I’m alluding to or you might not. So let me give you another hint…Dr Who called they want their Daleks back. Or how about R2D2 from Star Wars? Not a Sci-Fi fan. Well okay then…I will just come out and tell you. Robots! In your grocery store.

Last year Giant Food Stores installed a googly eyed robot called Marty into its 172 stores across the United States. The robot is designed to scan shelves for inventory control and signal when spills on the floors occur all while dodging customers with their shopping carts.

Yet Marty doesn’t have the reflexes that a human would have and doesn’t always make the correct calculated assessments in movement which causes customers to misjudge, misstep and collide into displays, aisle shelves and anything around.

Sadly, the grocery stores deem those accidents as acceptable and justify the robots as needed now more than ever. As this crisis of social distancing has weaved through society and has made human interaction, for now, a concern.

Now retailers like Walmart, Target, Giant Eagle and others are getting robots similar to Marty and the injuries across the United States are mounting.

Patrick Maturo, manager of store optimization of Giant’s parent company, Ahold USA had this to say, “These robots have a number of obvious benefits over their human counterparts — they’re consistent, work without pay, and never needs breaks or time off. Customers seem to like them, too.”

Sure, customers seem to like them, until they get hurt trying to avoid them.

Most of these robots are designed to stop what they are doing when a human approaches to close. Unfortunately those in motorized scooters or using walkers tend to get blocked by these mechanical rovers and get hurt when they try to go around them. And some customers have reported in order to avoid the robot they have slipped in the very spill the robot was trying to protect customers from.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to a slip and fall or sustain injuries as a result of a grocery store robot and would like to know if your case has merit and if you can sue, call us today at (219)736-9700.

The Law Offices of David W. Holub is a personal injury law firm located in Merrillville, Indiana, focused on providing efficient and effective client-centered representation. Our mission is to provide top quality legal representation, which includes an uncompromising pursuit of our client’s legal interests, while being accessible and attentive to our clients during times of personal challenge.

The firm concentrates in personal injury cases of all types, medical malpractice, and wrongful death litigation. We work tirelessly to serve each client aggressively and with empathy, to communicate regularly and clearly, and to obtain prompt and favorable results, while adhering to the highest standards of excellence and integrity. Our team considers it a high honor to be called upon to serve our clients whom we often come to regard as our friends.

*If you would like to learn more about personal injury law, we encourage you to listen to our Personal Injury Primer Podcast where we break down the law into simple terms, provide legal tips, and discuss topics related to personal injury law. And read “Fighting For Truth: A Trial Lawyer’s Insight Into What It Takes To Win” an entertaining and enlightening book pulling readers into the courtroom giving them a glimpse of the legal process and what it takes to win at trial.