This sounds like one of the cases that would work well if I was king with my law:
1. if the case is deemed frivolous the plaintiff is responsible to pay the defendant whatever they were seeking
2. the lawyer is fired out of cannon, into the sun.
If I remember, Google had been notified of the down bridge for years prior to this incident. What I don’t understand is how it’s not up to the municipality to either repair the bridge or adequately cordon off the area? How are they not at fault?
The man was driving at night and in the rain in an area he was unfamiliar with. The family is also suing the company that was in charge of maintaining the bridge, claiming there were no barricades or signs.
They are suing Google because they claim that users reported the route as dangerous prior to the crash and Google didn’t fix the routing problem.
IIRC, they’re suing both Google and the municipality, both of which had been repeatedly notified for years.
Also, I looked up pictures. The missing bridge was barely more than a car-length long, on an unpainted, unlit road, in the forest, at night in the rain. *The metal guardrails were still standing.* Even for an attentive driver at a safe speed, the dark gap in the dark asphalt would have been basically invisible until too late. This isn’t as irresponsible as it sounds.
This… this might actually be legit. If Google reported a dangerous route as safe, *and* there were no signs or barricades that could be seen even through adverse conditions, then that’s a pretty serious failure of duty on the part of both GMaps and the local public safety folks.
Anyone remember CAA/AAA “triptik”? It was like a paper flip book to navigate you to your destination. As a Canadian we would get them to drive to Florida. Never once, using that with the delayed information that physical media had, did my family ever drive off a bridge.
I don’t know how people can be that fucking stupid. Yes I get it was unmarked, issue isn’t with Google, like it wouldn’t be with Triptiks.
I can understand Google failing to notice one single bridge among tens of thousands of bridges, but the local government fucking this up is really really bad.
I don’t see how this is a google problem? They should be suing the city government for not having boundaries up.
I mean, did we use to sue the atlas road maps for telling people to drive on a road that may be under construction? I just don’t see why google is involved in this.
>”3. Actual Conditions; Assumption of Risk. When you use Google Maps/Google Earth’s map data, traffic, directions, and other content, you may find that actual conditions differ from the map results and content, so exercise your independent judgment and use Google Maps/Google Earth at your own risk. You’re responsible at all times for your conduct and its consequences.”
GiantRiverSquid says
The computer knows, Dwight!
faste30 says
This sounds like one of the cases that would work well if I was king with my law:
1. if the case is deemed frivolous the plaintiff is responsible to pay the defendant whatever they were seeking
2. the lawyer is fired out of cannon, into the sun.
stifledmind says
If I remember, Google had been notified of the down bridge for years prior to this incident. What I don’t understand is how it’s not up to the municipality to either repair the bridge or adequately cordon off the area? How are they not at fault?
baeb66 says
Here’s an archived [link](https://archive.ph/m3bkv) to the better NY Times article.
The man was driving at night and in the rain in an area he was unfamiliar with. The family is also suing the company that was in charge of maintaining the bridge, claiming there were no barricades or signs.
They are suing Google because they claim that users reported the route as dangerous prior to the crash and Google didn’t fix the routing problem.
ncopp says
Do these people not actually look at the road when they drive?
PhasmaFelis says
IIRC, they’re suing both Google and the municipality, both of which had been repeatedly notified for years.
Also, I looked up pictures. The missing bridge was barely more than a car-length long, on an unpainted, unlit road, in the forest, at night in the rain. *The metal guardrails were still standing.* Even for an attentive driver at a safe speed, the dark gap in the dark asphalt would have been basically invisible until too late. This isn’t as irresponsible as it sounds.
EvenSpoonier says
This… this might actually be legit. If Google reported a dangerous route as safe, *and* there were no signs or barricades that could be seen even through adverse conditions, then that’s a pretty serious failure of duty on the part of both GMaps and the local public safety folks.
Silicon_Knight says
Anyone remember CAA/AAA “triptik”? It was like a paper flip book to navigate you to your destination. As a Canadian we would get them to drive to Florida. Never once, using that with the delayed information that physical media had, did my family ever drive off a bridge.
I don’t know how people can be that fucking stupid. Yes I get it was unmarked, issue isn’t with Google, like it wouldn’t be with Triptiks.
cazzhmir says
I can understand Google failing to notice one single bridge among tens of thousands of bridges, but the local government fucking this up is really really bad.
[deleted] says
[removed]
Speedy059 says
I don’t see how this is a google problem? They should be suing the city government for not having boundaries up.
I mean, did we use to sue the atlas road maps for telling people to drive on a road that may be under construction? I just don’t see why google is involved in this.
gdsmithtx says
[Google Maps/Google Earth Additional Terms of Service](https://www.google.com/help/terms_maps/)
>”3. Actual Conditions; Assumption of Risk. When you use Google Maps/Google Earth’s map data, traffic, directions, and other content, you may find that actual conditions differ from the map results and content, so exercise your independent judgment and use Google Maps/Google Earth at your own risk. You’re responsible at all times for your conduct and its consequences.”
Moist-Jelly7879 says
Suing. They will probably lose.