Google sued over fatal Google Maps error after man drove off broken bridge
Google allegedly gave drivers bridge route for years despite correction requests.
arstechnica.com
Philip Paxson wasn't familiar with the area and didn't know the bridge was collapsed, the lawsuit said. "Google Maps directed Mr. Paxson to travel home over the Snow Creek Bridge. Unbeknownst to Mr. Paxson, a very large section of the Snow Creek Bridge had collapsed in 2013 and was never repaired," the lawsuit said.
There was no artificial lighting, "and the area was pitch black at 11:00 p.m.," the lawsuit said
In September 2020, "Hickory resident Kim Ellis used the 'Suggest An Edit' feature on Google Maps to place the Google Maps Defendants on notice that the Snow Creek Bridge had washed away," the lawsuit said. In November 2020, after Google took no action, "Ellis again contacted the Google Maps Defendants via the 'Suggest An Edit' feature pleading for Google Maps to update its navigation system," the lawsuit said.
There was a similar issue locally where for years Google basically recommended driving into a river as the shortest route (yeah, The Office joke but real). I do feel Google have some responsibility for this - the directions were wrong for 7 years.