The family members of Philip Paxson, a resident of North Carolina who drove off a collapsed bridge to his death last year while following navigation on Google Maps, have filed a lawsuit this Tuesday against the technology company, suing them for negligence.
According to the lawsuit, Paxson, a medical device salesman, died after he drowned as his vehicle, a Jeep Gladiator, plummeted into Snow Creek in Hickory. The lawsuit filed in Wake County Superior Court further added that Paxson, a father of two daughters, was driving through an unknown neighbourhood from his daughter's birthday party when he was guided by Google Maps towards a bridge that had collapsed nine years ago and was never repaired.
The lawsuit further stated that state troopers who discovered Paxson's body also noticed that there were no warning signs nor any barriers on the roadway. Paxson was found with his vehicle, which was half submerged and overturned. Allegedly, he drove off an unprotected corner of the bridge, fell, and crashed 20 feet below.
Paxson's wife, Alicia Paxson, said in a press release, 'Our girls ask how and why their daddy died, and I’m at a loss for words,' and then went on to add that she still couldn't understand how the company responsible for the map navigation application as well as the ones in charge of the unrepaired bridge could function 'with so little regard for human life.'
The lawsuit stated that multiple people tried to notify the company about the unrepaired bridge and that Google Maps was navigating people towards the bridge in the years before Paxson's death. They also urged Google to update the information on the application.
Additionally, the court filing also showcased records of emails sent from a resident of Hickory who used the 'Suggest and Edit' option on Google Maps in September last year to alert the company that their application was guiding people towards the bridge. There was a confirmation email from Google in November 2020 that stated that they had received the resident's email and were reviewing the suggested change in the map. However, the company took no further action.
The lawsuit sued Google for gross negligence and willful and wanton conduct and asked for an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages. Additionally, the lawsuit also targeted two companies and one individual, Tarde LLC, Hinckley Gauvain LLC, and James Tarlton, respectively, as they owned and controlled the functioning of the bridge.
Google spokesperson José Castañeda said in a statement that the company feels 'the deepest sympathies for the Paxson family' and that they will be reviewing the case.
