Philip Paxon, a successful seller of medical equipment and a caring father of two daughters, became a victim of a tragic incident in September 2022. The man spent that day visiting, surrounded by family and friends. When it was time to return home, his wife left with the children in another car. Paxon helped the owners of the house with cleaning, so he left much later.
On a dark, rainy night, he, unfamiliar with the terrain (the family moved recently), trusted Google Maps. The navigator sent him to the bridge in the city of Hikori, which, as it turned out, fell back in 2013.
Locals knew well about the problem and even dubbed the place as a “bridge to nowhere.” However, despite repeated appeals and warnings from the population, the Google Maps application continued to display the destroyed area as a roadway. There were no warning signs and fences on the road either.
The family filed for the company law.
“We found out that Google Maps has misleading drivers such as Mr. Paxon, directing them to this destroyed road for many years,” said family lawyer, Robert V. Zimmerman.
In his official appeal, the Google representative expressed deep condolences to the Paxon family, emphasizing that the main goal of the company is to provide relevant and accurate information in its navigators. He also added that the company carefully studies the circumstances of the incident and considers the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs require compensation for moral damage, a fair punishment for all the perpetrators, and a trial with the involvement of the jury.
According to the data on April 6, 2023, and, as it is assumed, to the present, the destroyed bridge is still not indicated on the maps.