Tech company faces negligence lawsuit after Philip Paxson died from driving off a North Carolina bridge destroyed years ago

Discuss!

  • ShittyRedditWasBetter@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    45
    arrow-down
    10
    ·
    1 year ago

    No they don’t. Christ 🤦‍♂️.

    It’s 100% on the local government to handle that shit. There are hundreds of sources for map data and I bet you most of them aren’t up to date.

    • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      22
      arrow-down
      12
      ·
      1 year ago

      Google Maps gave incorrect routing advice resulting (on their part) in a person’s death. It was a decade out of date, it had been brought to their attention and they did nothing. They still used that data in their routing. Obviously they have some sort of responsibility here imo.

      There are hundreds of sources for map data and I bet you most of them aren’t up to date.

      Idk why you think I’d think differently if it was some other company, routing provider etc. If it was a municipal roadside map that showed that you’re free to drive off that bridge then it would be the same. Or even a private roadside tourism map.

      • HumanPenguin@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        21
        arrow-down
        9
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        resulting (on their part) in a person’s death.

        Nope.

        If the bridge had collapsed a few hours ago. No one would know. Due to this being a real risk. Just like anyone reading an older paper map. The driver of any car is entirely responsible for looking where they are going. Not some 3rd party navigation source.

        Evidence that google is crap. In no way shape or form makes them legally responsible for your visual attention while driving. You are.

        And google has faced these cases in a number of nations. Through out the erly addoption of GPS navigation in the 2000s. We saw many cases of folks driving into lakes and rivers. Because they were stupid enouth to trust the GPS system. Rather then use the minimal common sense of watching where they are driving.

        Google map quest and all others never faced and requirement to take responsibility for drivers inability to drive.

        After a decade. The local authority bears responsibility for failing to signpost. Or hell fix th fucking bridge. But even then nope if your driving, how long its been down. In no way relieves you of the standard job. Of watching where the hell you are going. Just means the local auth need to lose there jobs/ 10 years ago.

        Guess what. Old folks crossing the road and falling over. Can happen with little notice. But if you come around a corner. And are not paying attention to the road. The fact that a little old lady fell and knocked herself out. Guess who is legally responsible for failing to drive safly when you crush the poor ladies head.

        As someone with mobility and vision issues. Who is at high risk of losing my balance when travelling. It really fucks me off how many drivers fail to realise. They are responsible for driving a multi ton potential killing machine. And share the environment with the whole of society.

        As soon as they abdicate that responsibility. Thay are basically saying people like me must remain locked in our houses.

        • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          10
          arrow-down
          13
          ·
          1 year ago

          Of course they had a part in the death. They routed him over a broken bridge. That’s their part of it. And not fixing the map after being told about the issue. Thinking they didn’t have any part in this seems bizarre.

          • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            10
            ·
            1 year ago

            There’s two problems here.

            Firstly the map is out of date.

            Secondly the road wasn’t blocked off.

            The map been out of date is not criminal there’s no legal requirement that maps are accurate. However there is a legal requirement that a road is blocked off.

            It’s the state that’s ultimately responsible not some GPS company. The above response right, how does it make any difference how long the bridge has been out for? Google aren’t actually responsible for updating a section of their map, Yes it would be great if they would do it, but they’re not actually legally required to do it.

            • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              4
              arrow-down
              8
              ·
              1 year ago

              “It’s not criminal so they didn’t have any part or responsibility” is something I don’t understand. Of course the routing was part of the reason this happened. Municipality’s/landowner’s part is how they hadn’t closed to road, put up signage etc. Google’s part is the bad routing. Driver’s part is well, the ultimately the driving. Thinking the routing had no part in the death just doesn’t make sense to me.

              how does it make any difference how long the bridge has been out for

              Ample time and opportunity to fix it, even being told about the issue. Of course the time makes a difference, if the bridge had collapsed 15 minutes prior then it would be less bad on Google’s side for not having made the change.

              Google aren’t actually responsible for updating a section of their map, Yes it would be great if they would do it, but they’re not actually legally required to do it.

              Of course there’s responsibility for the bad routing, even if they’re not legally required to update the map/routing. I doubt the case against Google goes anywhere but to me it seems obvious they share a part of the responsibility for their routing.

      • morry040@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        12
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        You’re expectations of Google would be like demanding that the map company who printed maps must provide a free, updated map every time that the roads change. Life doesn’t work that way - sometimes people need to take responsibility for their own stupidity.

        • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          NAL, but I think part of it is that Google does update its map regularly (you see the latest edition whenever you access it online)

          Where Google arguably failed was, despite having a system to report discrepancies which people used for this collapsed bridge, Google failed to make the routing changes that could be reasonably expected by 5+ years. They could have used some combination of satellite images, user reports, the Google car etc.

          Even if you were to compare it to paper media: If you published a new edition twice a year, you had incorrect information, people reported it to you yet you still failed to correct it for 10+ editions and it causes harm to someone, then as a publisher you may be liable.

        • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          7
          ·
          1 year ago

          No it isn’t? My expectation is that if someone guides someone poorly then of course they have some responsibility and part in their death. Honestly it’s simple as that and it just seems like common sense.

          • hydrospanner@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            6
            ·
            1 year ago

            No it isn’t?

            Yes it very literally is.

            A driver has ultimate responsibility for where they drive their car, that’s not up for debate.

            Google is providing guidance, sure, but the driver, by virtue of being present, having eyes and a brain, and controlling the fucking vehicle is the one responsible for where the vehicle goes.

            You may have a (very good) point if this was a self driving car and Google was partially or wholly responsible for the actual motion of the vehicle.

            But that’s not what happened.

            Google’s guidance is nothing more than them saying, “Based on our data, this is the route we think you should take.” Obviously the driver has better data on local conditions than Google.

            That being said, local authorities are to blame for improper signage and safety features. While Google isn’t responsible for road conditions and safety, some government or another absolutely is, and they are absolutely a valid target for a lawsuit, as they should be.

            That you think Google shoulders blame in this is actually kind of a sad commentary on how some of society views personal responsibility.

            • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              0
              arrow-down
              4
              ·
              edit-2
              1 year ago

              Yes it very literally is.

              I just told you how you misunderstood what I expected and you still insist on understanding me. That’s funny.

              Google is providing guidance, sure, but the driver, by virtue of being present, having eyes and a brain, and controlling the fucking vehicle is the one responsible for where the vehicle goes.

              There’s not just one person responsible for this. Driver, municipality, Google are all responsible in different amounts.

              Google’s guidance is nothing more than them saying, “Based on our data, this is the route we think you should take.”

              Yeah and they’re responsible for giving bad guidance, same as the municipality is responsible for not closing down the route and the driver for mistakes they made.

              That you think Google shoulders blame in this is actually kind of a sad commentary on how some of society views personal responsibility.

              You completely misunderstood me. I take part of the responsibility (lol) for it.

      • Hogger85b@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        1 year ago

        If I buy a map I don’t just drive down the road not looking out the window. The bridge could have washed out that night I would never expect a map to cover that a map is for planning a route…I would be pissed off that it had led me down a dead end and I had to stop and turn around so I might ask for money back on the map but the death and driving off a road is not on the map

        • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          If I buy a map I don’t just drive down the road not looking out the window.

          Well duh