Let me just start by saying—as I’ve said many times before—common sense goes a long way. However, nowadays it seems that certain electronic gadgets (along with a lot of things in today’s world, including paper coffee cups) are apparently supposed to replace common sense. This next case is yet another example of this ever-growing trend.
According to Above the Law.com, an LA woman is suing a Salt Lake County man and Google for more than $100,000 in damages claiming that Google Maps gave her directions which brought her onto a Park City roadway where she was hit by a car.
In a lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court for Utah, Lauren Rosenberg, through her attorneys, states that on Jan. 19, 2009, she sought instruction from Google Maps on her Blackberry for directions to walk from 96 Daly Ave. to 1710 Prospector Ave. in Park City. The lawsuit further claims that Google Maps directed Rosenberg along Deer Valley Drive, which is State Route 224, in an area “where vehicles travel at a high rate of speed and [is] devoid of pedestrian sidewalks.” In addition, the suit states: “Google undertook the duty to exercise reasonable care in providing safe directions to patrons of its Google Maps service. [But] Google failed to warn plaintiff Rosenberg of said known dangers…”
Just to emphasize how crazy we’ve become– she doesn’t need to worry about “reasonable care” for herself while walking, since apparently this is no longer a requirement in today’s society when relying on a website. Google Maps now has to inform someone not to walk on a road with NO sidewalks.
Rosenberg further claims that a Salt Lake County resident was driving an automobile in a “negligent” manner and struck Rosenberg, “causing her to suffer severe physical, emotional, and mental injuries… and causing her to incur medical expenses in an amount exceeding $100,000.” The suit also seeks from Google in an amount in excess of $100,000 to be determined at trial.
Let’s end on this note: to all of you Google Mappers and GPSers out there, PLEASE even if you have no sense of direction, please do not lose your common sense.
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