The family of Philip Paxson, a North Carolina man who lost his life in a horrific accident, has taken legal action against tech giant Google, alleging negligence that led to the fatal accident.
The lawsuit, filed in Wake County Superior Court, contends that Google was well aware of a collapsed bridge along the route Paxson was instructed to take but failed to update its navigation system, resulting in a devastating loss.
Google Maps erroneous directions
The incident unfolded while Paxson was returning home from his daughter’s ninth birthday celebration, navigating through an unfamiliar neighborhood solely relying on Google Maps for directions. The lawsuit alleges that Google Maps directed him to cross a bridge that had been in a state of disrepair for a staggering nine years.
Alicia Paxson, said, “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.”
Notably, the North Carolina State Patrol clarified that the bridge had not been under the jurisdiction of local or state officials, as the original developer’s company had dissolved. The lawsuit, however, casts a wide net, naming several private property management companies as responsible for both the bridge and the adjoining land.
The suit reveals a troubling pattern of communication between concerned individuals and Google Maps regarding the collapsed bridge’s perilous inclusion in navigation directions. Multiple reports were submitted to Google, urging the company to update its route information in the years leading up to Paxson’s tragic accident.
A Hickory Affair
The court filing includes email records from another Hickory resident who utilized the map’s “suggest an edit” feature in September 2020 to alert Google to the danger of directing drivers over the collapsed bridge. Shockingly, a November 2020 email confirmation from Google acknowledged receipt of the report and indicated that it was under review. However, the lawsuit contends that Google took no further actions to rectify the issue.
As the legal battle unfolds, it raises critical questions about the responsibility of tech companies to ensure the safety of their users and the consequences they may face when neglecting such responsibilities.
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