Woman files suit against Google after husband dies following Maps on broken bridge

A tragic incident unfolded last year where a man in North Carolina, United States, died in a car accident guided by erroneous Google Maps directions that led his vehicle onto a collapsed bridge. The victim's widow is now seeking justice by filing a lawsuit against the global tech giant, Google.

Philip Paxson, a medical device salesman, US Navy veteran, and father of two young girls, tragically lost his life in September of last year following Google Maps directions that led him onto an unmarked, collapsed bridge. Paxson was driving home from his younger daughter's ninth birthday gathering on a rainy night when the unfortunate mishap occurred. 

Trusting his navigational app, he drove his Jeep Gladiator onto the compromised bridge, unaware of the impending danger. The vehicle plunged 20 feet into the water below when the bridge gave way beneath it, and Paxson sadly drowned. The bridge, tragically, was not barricaded, nor was its damaged state flagged on Google Maps.

The Paxsons went to a family friend's residence for a joint birthday celebration of their elder daughter and the friend's child. Philip Paxson stayed at the location a little longer after the camping-themed party to clean up. His wife had returned home with their daughters early.

Alicia, the man's wife, said in her lawsuit that Google Maps had been directing drivers to use the fallen bridge for years, and that people had warned Google that the bridge was inoperable.

She also stated that another resident of Hickory, where the accident occurred, had notified Google about the collapsed bridge several times using Google Maps' "Suggest an Edit" tool. According to Alicia Paxson, no action has been made since 2020 to amend the directions on Google Maps, despite an email confirmation from Google stating that the tech giant is examining the requested change.

After her husband's death, Google Maps was alerted to the perilous bridge and informed that Paxson had perished using that route. Google Maps continued to depict the dangerous bridge as a passable road for nearly six months after Paxson's death.

“We have the deepest sympathies for the Paxson family," Google spokesperson José Castaneda told news agency Associated Press. "Our goal is to provide accurate routing information in Maps and we are reviewing this lawsuit.”

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