Key takeaways:
- The family of Philip Paxson, 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 lawsuit alleges that Google had been informed of the bridge collapse nine years prior, but failed to update its navigation system to reflect the change.
- The Paxson family is hoping that this case will bring attention to the dangers of relying on GPS navigation systems and the importance of being aware of one’s surroundings.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — 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.
The suit alleges that Paxson was following directions using Google Maps while driving through an unfamiliar neighborhood on the way home from his daughter’s ninth birthday party. Paxson and his wife, Alicia Paxson, had originally planned for a birthday camping trip for their daughter, but came up with an alternate plan due to inclement weather.
The lawsuit claims that Google had been informed of the bridge collapse nine years prior, but failed to update its navigation system to reflect the change. The family is seeking unspecified damages for the wrongful death of Philip Paxson.
Google has yet to comment on the lawsuit. The Paxson family is hoping that this case will bring attention to the dangers of relying on GPS navigation systems and the importance of being aware of one’s surroundings.
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