The family of a man from North Carolina in the United States who tragically died after his vehicle plunged off a collapsed bridge while he was following police instructions Google Mapsseeks justice with a negligence lawsuit.
The central allegation is that Google was previously aware of the bridge collapse but failed to update its navigation system, which led to it fatal consequences.
Philip Paxson, a medical equipment salesman, died by drowning on September 30, 2022, when his Jeep Gladiator sank into a hickory.
According to court documents filed in Wake County Superior Court, Paxson returned to his apartment from his daughter’s ninth birthday party and confided Google Maps to guide you.
The navigation system supposedly took him over a bridge that had collapsed nine years earlier and had never been repaired.
(Image: Disclosure)
The victim was found by police
The discovery of Philip Paxson’s body in his crashed and partially submerged vehicle was made by state troopers who noted the lack of barriers or warning signs along the damaged road.
The North Carolina State Patrol reported that the bridge was not maintained by local or state agencies and the company responsible for the bridge’s original construction had been disbanded.
According to the lawsuit filed by Paxson’s family, several people had notified Google Maps about the bridge collapse in recent years and asked the company to update the navigation app’s routes.
Unfortunately, these appeals were unsuccessful, leading to a tragic outcome and a preventable accident that endangered the life of a family man.
Google spokesman José Castañeda expressed his condolences to the Paxson family and said that the company is focused on providing accurate route information in Maps and is already reviewing the process in question.