Family Sues Google Maps for Allegedly Directing Driver to Collapse Bridge

Google Maps, a digital mapping service company, has found itself in hot water after being accused of directing an individual to drive across a collapsed bridge, resulting in their death.

According to CNN, the family of the deceased individual has taken legal action against Google Maps, alleging that the map directions provided to their loved one led to their demise when their vehicle plunged approximately 20 feet, according to the case.

Philip Paxson was following Google Maps directions as he was driving home late at night in September 2022 from his daughter’s 9th birthday party when the Google Maps system directed him to cross an unmarked and unblocked bridge that had collapsed years ago, CNN reported.

Paxson drove off the edge of the bridge without barriers in Hickory, North Carolina, and submerged, court documents cited by the network stated.

The attorney for Paxson’s family, Robert Zimmerman, stated in a release:

“We have discovered that Google Maps inaccurately directed drivers like Mr. Paxson onto this long-collapsed roadway, despite receiving complaints from the public to correct the map and directions to indicate that it was CLOSED.”

The case alleges that neighbors had expressed concerns about Google Maps guiding drivers over the bridge, which is claimed to have remained unrepaired since its collapse in 2013.