Woman hit by car sues Google over directions

[firesnowball]

"A LOS Angeles woman is suing web giant Google for giving her "unsafe" directions while travelling interstate.

While in Park City, Utah, Lauren Rosenberg used her BlackBerry to ask Google Maps for walking directions to Prospector Avenue from Daly Street.

The directions led her onto a busy highway where she was hit by a car.

Now she is suing Google and the car's driver over the incident.

Ms Rosenberg claims the driver, Patrick Hardwood, failed to keep a proper eye out for pedestrians, failed to keep control of the car and was speeding.

But, she claimed in a lawsuit filed late last week, Google was also responsible for leading her onto the highway in the first place.

"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 said.

When accessed from a computer, Google Maps displays a warning next to the walking directions to Prospector Avenue from Daly Street.

"Use caution — This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths," the warning reads.

However it is not clear if the warning is displayed to users who access the directions from a BlackBerry.

The warning does not appear on an iPhone, reported the Search Engine Land blog.

Google Australia had no comment on the case."

Source

"The case, Rosenberg v. Harwood, was filed in Utah, in the US District Court’s Central Division (Gary Price of ResourceShelf tipped us to it today). Harwood is Patrick Harwood, the person who actually hit Rosenberg, according to the suit. Both Harwood and Google are being sued in the same case, for damages “in excess of $100,000.”

Original Source (Wall of text and some pics)


Now that's pure gold, being America I wonder if she'll win or at least settle. Common would probably dictate that you use it as a "guide" not a "be all and end all", but as experience shows common sense really doesn't apply to everyone.

I wonder what's next, "Google didn't tell me there would be a kids on the road, it's their fault I killed them"

What does Google Australia have anything to do with this? Google US, yes. Australia, no.

[Testeagle]

What does Google Australia have anything to do with this? Google US, yes. Australia, no.

Well the source it's from an Australian website so I would assume they just asked their local branch of Google.

[$$$]

Unless the driver is drunk or homicidal, and unless you are suicidal or mentally ******ed, I really don't see how you can get hit by a car walking on the side of the road...

[Espio0]

but......but.....bu-


ah screw it, if you are this ****ing stupid, you ****ing deserve to be hit and killed by a car.

why am i even surprised that this case hasnt been dismissed yet?