Posted on 10/03/2023 12:23:17 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The family of a North Carolina man who died after driving his car off a collapsed bridge while following Google Maps directions is suing the technology giant for negligence
The family of a North Carolina man who died after driving his car off a collapsed bridge while following Google Maps directions is suing the technology giant for negligence, claiming it had been informed of the collapse but failed to update its navigation system.
Philip Paxson, a medical device salesman and father of two, drowned Sept. 30, 2022, after his Jeep Gladiator plunged into Snow Creek in Hickory, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Wake County Superior Court. Paxson was driving home from his daughter’s ninth birthday party through an unfamiliar neighborhood when Google Maps allegedly directed him to cross a bridge that had collapsed nine years prior and was never repaired.
“Our girls ask how and why their daddy died, and I’m at a loss for words they can understand because, as an adult, I still can’t understand how those responsible for the GPS directions and the bridge could have acted with so little regard for human life," his wife, Alicia Paxson, said.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Google had been notified over the 9 years that the bridge was no longer there.
I think they bear some responsibility here.
Yes.
To be expected. It is Google after all.
But the people at fault were still the state and local authorities who did not put up a barricade.
here’s a story from when it happened, has a news video showing the road and bridge.
https://www.wcnc.com/article/traffic/catawba-county-deadly-crash-jeep-runs-off-closed-bridge-hickory-north-carolina/275-1a06eb43-0a13-40fb-b606-6f07b439b319
When can I sue NOAA for ruining my cookout?
Your daddy is dead because he was stupid and refusing to look at the road, while driving.
Even if they DIDN’T update the maps, the maps are useful tools but are not MASTERS of geographical information.
The company has trillions of bits of info shoved into their servers every day. Do they have to be liable for every bit sent to them? Or do users have a responsibility to use due diligence?
We are way way way too litigious in society and this seems to rank right up there with “McDonald’s made hot coffee” absurdity.
jmho /soapbox
Is a very sad story and I feel sorry for the family that lost their loved one. The news article, however, shows that the washed out bridge was on a private road so neither the State nor Google is responsible.
This lawsuit is not ridiculous. Google Maps was notified of the bridge and ignored it. Their refusal to make corrections killed a man.
There were no roadblocks. The town it happened in is responsible too. No, it did not just happen. NC Department of Transportation is also responsible.
An hour? puhleez. This bridge has been out for a long time. This victim was new in town. The town, the NC Department of Transportation, and Google are all responsible.
And there you have the crux of the case. Google was notified multiple times of the bridge being out and did not correct the map.
NC Dept. of Transportation should have blocked the road. Posting “Road Closed” signs isn’t enough imo. I faintly remember a comedian who did “Hold my sign” jokes about stupid people doing stupid stuff.
I prefer Waze. I can update the maps myself.
As with any driver assistance aid, it’s a tool and the driver is always responsible for controlling the vehicle.
If there was a collapsed bridge and there was no barricade then I’d be pointing at the city or D.O.T..
It’s not like he ran over a pothole - he drove off a bridge!
Also, Bing maps and TomTom had the updated info for years. Google never bothered to update it.
Mine once took me to the corner of Kill Whitey and Stab Whitey.
- The bridge had been out for nine years since 2013.
- No barriers or warning signs were put up.
- Google continued to ignore reports that the bridge was out.
- Other drivers had gone on the bridge because no barriers or signs were put up and Google kept directing them over the bridge.
-This driver was not familiar with the area.
-He was driving at 11:00 pm on a rainy night.
So sorry for this man and his family.
It’s a private road, so the state doesn’t put signs there.
I hope this costs them a LOT of money.
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