Now and again you hear something that makes you wonder where some people are at. The latest for me is the news that a female pedestrian is suing Google after she was injured by a motorist whilst she was following a route she got from Google Maps.
Really, what is the world coming to? OK so she probably wants to make a few bucks out of it, in fact she’s looking for more than $100,000, no kidding.
In January, Lauren Rosenberg downloaded the directions to her mobile from Google Maps as she was trying to get from one end of Park City in Utah, to the other.
Whilst following the route she found herself in a street without any footpaths and claims that this route “was not reasonably safe for pedestrians”. Ok maybe not but is that Google’s fault?
Now correct me if I’m wrong but is it really fair to put the responsibility on Google to make sure that any directions offered by their online navigation system are safe for pedestrians?
That would surely be ridiculous. For a start it would open up a huge can of worms and countless law suits would follow if that were deemed to be the case.
Does the woman not have to assume some responsibility for her own safety if she chooses to follow a route that she claims isn’t safe? Are we now so reliant on technology that we can no longer think for ourselves?
Allen Young, Rosenberg’s lawyer, naturally has a different view.
“We think there’s enough fault to go around, but Google had some responsibility to direct people correctly or warn them,” said Young.
The thing is, Google Maps does issue a warning, it says “use caution” for a start and surely that’s enough, although some are saying this warning doesn’t appear on mobiles. Still, would she walk off a cliff if Google pointed her in that direction?
“They created a trap with walking instructions that people rely on. She relied on it and thought she should cross the street” says Rosenberg’s lawyer.
Oh by the way it was pitch-black and there were no street lights on the road that she decided to cross.
As Rosenberg crossed the street she was hit by a car, broke a number of bones, and needed six weeks to recover.
She is now seeking compensation for her medical bills, her lost wages and her own stupidity.
Unbelievable!
