After a man unknowingly drove off a collapsed bridge in Hickory, North Carolina, in 2022, his family is now suing Google for failing to update their GPS app about the bridge that they say cost the man his life.
Collapsed Bridge
Philip Paxson’s family is now fighting against tech behemoth Google for what they believe was a preventable tragedy.
Philip Paxson, a devoted father of two, met a tragic fate on September 30, 2022, when his vehicle plunged into Snow Creek in Hickory, NC, due to alleged misinformation from Google Maps.
The family of the late Philip Paxson has taken Google to court, accusing the tech giant of negligence that they argue cost Philip his life.
Paxson, a medical device salesman, was navigating an unfamiliar neighborhood when Google Maps purportedly directed him to cross a collapsed bridge that was never repaired.
Philip Paxson’s widow, Alicia Paxson, is struggling to explain the tragedy to their daughters, seeking answers as to why safety seemed to take a backseat.
Crashed 20 Feet Below
“Our girls ask how and why their daddy died, and I’m at a loss for words they can understand because, as an adult, I still can’t understand how those responsible for the GPS directions and the bridge could have acted with so little regard for human life,” Alicia Paxson said tearfully.
The lawsuit revealed that Paxson drove off an unguarded edge and crashed about 20 feet below due to the misleading information provided by Google Maps.
The family contended that Google was aware of the bridge’s collapse but failed to update its system, disregarding the potential risks to unsuspecting drivers.
The North Carolina State Patrol confirmed that the bridge had been neglected for years, lacking maintenance and leaving a dangerous, unmarked hazard.
Google Had Been Warned Repeatedly
Multiple concerned individuals had alerted Google about the collapsed bridge, urging the company to rectify its route information.
Email records submitted in the lawsuit showed a Hickory resident’s attempts to alert Google about the bridge through the “suggest an edit” feature, to no avail.
Google’s spokesperson expressed condolences for the Paxson family, “We have the deepest sympathies for the Paxson family,” he said.
As the lawsuit progresses, the Paxson family seeks justice for Philip and aims to shed light on the potential consequences of inaccurate GPS directions.
The tragic event has left the community grappling with sorrow, prompting a collective reflection on road safety and responsible tech usage.
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