Slashdot Mirror
Pedestrian Follows Google Map, Gets Run Over, Sues
Hugh Pickens writes "The Toronto Star reports that a Utah woman is suing Google for more than $100,000 in damages, claiming its maps function gave her walking directions that led her onto a major highway, where she was struck by a car. Lauren Rosenberg sought directions between two addresses in Utah about 3 kilometers apart and the top result suggested that she follow a busy rural highway for several hundred meters. The highway did not have sidewalks or any other pedestrian-friendly amenities, and Rosenberg was struck by a car. Rosenberg filed suit against both the driver of the car that struck her and Google, claiming both carried responsibility in her injury. Her lawyers claim Google is liable because it did not warn her that the route would not offer a safe place for a pedestrian to walk. Google has pointed out that the directions Rosenberg sought come with a warning of caution for pedestrians, but Rosenberg claims that she accessed the Maps function on her Blackberry mobile device, where it did not include the warning."
is she f&#%^g blind, just stupid or what. If you don't feel safe walking some place, DON'T WALK THERE!
Perhaps I should make the subject "Common sense absent"? Am I the only person left on the planet who can assess a situation and determine whether it's safe or not, and take appropriate actions to safeguard myself? On second thought I call bullshit; I cannot believe anyone is so stupid as this, this woman must be looking for a payday.
Could not have said it better myself. A woman, ostensibly this means she is an adult, should have been able to make a judgement call based on her surroundings. Should Google really be responsible for this? NO
I didn't RTFA but I'd be curious to know whether it is illegal to walk down the specific highway that she walked on. If so, she might have a case against Google for suggesting to do something that was illegal to begin with.