Google sued for dangerours walking directions

Dave Siciliano

Dave Siciliano

Final Approach
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Dave Siciliano
No need to check those directions or change routes if they are bad!

Best,

Dave
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Ms. Rosenberg, a resident of Los Angeles County, says she used her phone in January to download walking directions from one end of Park City to the other.

Google Maps led her to walk on a busy road without sidewalks that was "not reasonably safe for pedestrians," according to the lawsuit filed by the Los Angeles County resident.

"As a direct and proximate cause of defendant Google's careless, reckless and negligent providing of unsafe directions, plaintiff Lauren Rosenberg was led onto a dangerous highway, and was thereby stricken by a motor vehicle," the lawsuit states.

http://tinyurl.com/2e7gkhc
 
Do they really need a disclaimer that says "be sure to look where you are walking, rather than at your phone, when using these directions... also, don't be an idiot, if at all possible" ? :rolleyes:
 
I should sue Garmin and make some $$$. They always take me to the center of my destination airport and I fall down and crash as soon as I turn off my engine!!! And, unlike Google, they don't even have a warning.
 
rottydaddy said:
Do they really need a disclaimer that says "be sure to look where you are walking, rather than at your phone, when using these directions... also, don't be an idiot, if at all possible" ? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Actually, I've seen that in the past - something along the lines of "the directions herein given are subject to your own evaluation for your safety."
 
This country is going to hell in a handbasket. And that's why we'll never have affordable modern technology general aviation. Somebody ought to make a "real men of genius" commercial about the american public and consumer..you know, effing it up for the rest of us.

Here's to hoping they get the case thrown out. Knowing the jury pool though, I think we're hosed... This country needs tort reform like a 12yo kid needs cortizone after walking on his flip-flops through the woods in July....
 
The really sad part is, Google will settle with her for a few thousand, rather than pay the 10's of thousands to litigate it out most likely.
 
hindsight2020 said:
This country is going to hell in a handbasket. And that's why we'll never have affordable modern technology general aviation. Somebody ought to make a "real men of genius" commercial about the american public and consumer..you know, effing it up for the rest of us.

Here's to hoping they get the case thrown out. Knowing the jury pool though, I think we're hosed... This country needs tort reform like a 12yo kid needs cortizone after walking on his flip-flops through the woods in July....
Click to expand...

What does such "tort reform" consist of?
 
markb5900 said:
The really sad part is, Google will settle with her for a few thousand, rather than pay the 10's of thousands to litigate it out most likely.
Click to expand...

That's a very real possibility, though it's been a growing trend (starting in the '90's actually) to fight these sorts of cases.

Unfortunately, oftentimes the plaintiffs are "judgment-proof" -- meaning they have no assets to pay your attorney fees if you're able to convince a judge that the thing is frivolous.
 
There's no substitute for common sense.

Just spent a week in the backwoods of Arizona - there were pleny of warnings in the parks about not trusting your GPS. I had mine on, just for fun, while driving to a park entrance on a highway. Garmin decided it knew a better way and tried to get me to take a back road. I noticed a sign on that road as I drove past, "Off Road Vehicles".
 
I'm pretty sure it's said something like
Walking directions are in beta.
Use caution – This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths.
Click to expand...
since walking directions came out.
 
markb5900 said:
The really sad part is, Google will settle with her for a few thousand, rather than pay the 10's of thousands to litigate it out most likely.
Click to expand...

Bet they don't.

An effective "we don't settle shake-down suits" policy works. Ask any plaintiffs' lawyer if they accept contigency fee suits against WalMart... Walmart makes a good faith effort to resolve any accident at its stores, paying medicals and the like, but every lawyer knows: if you are going to sue Walmart, you are going to trial.

That eliminates about 95% of the plaintiffs' bar, who really don't expect to try cases.

Guess what... that means a lot of cases which might be filed against other entities, won't be filed against Walmart. Good policy, I say.
 
Matthew said:
There's no substitute for common sense.

Just spent a week in the backwoods of Arizona - there were pleny of warnings in the parks about not trusting your GPS. I had mine on, just for fun, while driving to a park entrance on a highway. Garmin decided it knew a better way and tried to get me to take a back road. I noticed a sign on that road as I drove past, "Off Road Vehicles".
Click to expand...

And I've had the GPS in the car try and tell me to turn left at an intersection that was 'right turn only'. Take those automated instructions with a grain of salt.

"Off Road Vehicles"? I'd have turned onto it. But, I drive a Jeep. :D
 
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