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Woman Sues Google after She is Hit by Car While Following Google Maps

By Paul Napoli

A woman has filed a suit against Google after a car hit her while she was following walking directions provided by Google Maps.

Lauren Rosenberg, of Los Angeles, CA, used the Google Maps site on her Blackberry wireless device for walking directions from Daly Street, Park City, UT to Prospector Avenue, Park City, UT on January 19, 2009. As she traveled the Google Maps route on foot, a car struck and injured her.

According to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Utah by Rosenberg's attorney, Allen K. Young of Young, Kester & Petro in Provo, UT, the Google Maps directed Rosenberg to travel on rural highway Deer Valley Drive (State Route 224), a street unsafe for pedestrians because it has no sidewalks and vehicles travel at a high rate of speed.

'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, causing her to suffer severe permanent physical, emotional, and mental injuries, including pain and suffering, and causing her to incur medical expenses in amounts in excess of $100,000.00,' the complaint states.

Rosenberg claims Google had a duty to exercise reasonable care in providing safe directions to patrons and failed to warn her of known dangers along the route.

When using Google Maps for walking directions on a computer, the site warns that, 'Walking directions are in beta. Use caution – This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths.' However, when viewed on a PDA or phone, Google Maps gives no such warning.

Rosenberg is also suing the driver of the vehicle, Patrick Harwood, of Salt Lake County, UT, claiming he failed to keep a proper look out, failed to keep proper control and driving in excess of reasonable speed.

She seeks to recover damages in an amount to be proven at trial, including the cost of past and future medical expenses, loss of earnings and diminished earning capacity.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Napoli

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on May 31, 2010 (boomark / email).