Woman files lawsuit against Google Maps following husband’s death

Google Maps lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Alicia Paxson has filed a lawsuit against Google and an entity responsible for maintaining Snow Creek Bridge in Hickory, North Carolina.
• Why: Her husband reportedly drowned after following Google Maps directions that led him to the unmarked and unbarricaded bridge.
• Where: The Google Maps death lawsuit was filed in North Carolina Superior Court.

Google is facing a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by a widow whose husband tragically drowned after driving off a collapsed bridge while following Google Maps GPS instructions.

Plaintiff Alicia Paxson says her husband Philip Paxson died the night of Sept. 30, 2022, after following Google Maps directions to drive over an unmarked and unbarricaded collapsed bridge in Hickory, North Carolina.

The Google Maps lawsuit says that the Snow Creek Bridge had collapsed in 2013 and community members have notified Google of the danger its GPS poses to people who are unfamiliar with the area. However, Google allegedly failed to update its navigation system with this information.

“Mr. Paxson suffered the fate that many community residents feared: his vehicle drove off of the unguarded edge of the collapsed bridge and he was injured and killed,” the Google Maps lawsuit alleges.

He is survived by Alicia Paxson and two young daughters, according to the complaint.

Alicia Paxson also names a business entity and two individuals she says are responsible for maintaining the bridge and erecting proper barricades and warning signs to notify drivers about the hazards posed by the collapsed bridge.

“The bridge was in a dangerous, hazardous and defective condition at the time of the incident and for years prior,” the Google Maps lawsuit says.

Google Maps lawsuit says there was no warning or indication of Snow Creek Bridge collapse

Philip Paxson allegedly used the Google Maps application to select his route home from his daughter’s birthday party in an area that was unfamiliar to him. The app allegedly directed him to travel over the collapsed Snow Creek Bridge, which had reportedly collapsed in 2013 and was never repaired.

Google Maps allegedly depicted the Snow Creek Bridge as a passable road. Because Google Maps directed him to take this route and there were no barricades or warning signs informing him of the danger, Philip Paxson drove off the unguarded edge of the bridge, crashing 20 feet below, the Google Maps lawsuit says, noting that “the area was pitch black” at the time of the crash.

Alicia Paxson’s attorneys submitted another request to update Google Maps to indicate that the Snow Creek Bridge had collapsed, informing the company of the tragic death. However, Google Maps still indicated the bridge was passable months after the edit request was sent.

The Google Maps death lawsuit asserts claims for negligent, grossly negligent, willful and wanton conduct and loss of consortium, and seeks punitive damages from all defendants.

Google recently agreed to pay $23 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it shared search queries with third-party websites and companies without users’ consent.

What do you think about the Google Maps lawsuit? Join the discussion in the comments.

Alicia Paxson is represented by Larry Bendesky, Robert W. Zimmerman and Michael Benz of Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky and Meredith S. Hinton and Brian M. Ricci of the Ricci Law Firm.

The Google Maps death lawsuit is Alicia Paxson v. Google LLC d/b/a Google, et al., Case No. 23CV026335-910, in the North Carolina Superior Court, Wake County.

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