The Associated Press reports today that a Utah a woman is suing Google for giving directions that were “not reasonably safe for pedestrians.” The plaintiff seeks $100,000.00 in damages. This is the first lawsuit against Google that involves bodily injuries allegedly caused by poor GoogleMaps directions. Refer to our recent post on Google Bike Maps and Google expressly disclaiming any liability. According to U.K.’s Daily Mail, Google Maps generates a warning to users that some routes may not have sidewalks or pedestrian paths.
Do you think the plaintiff, who relied upon Google’s sophisticated data gathering and tracking systems to generate directions, has a valid legal action? Does it depend on whether a physical map was printed with the listed directions? Does it matter whether the directions were generated on a mobile, handheld device? Does it matter whether she was generally familiar with the area?
Disclaimer: This post is intended for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinions on any specific facts or circumstances. An attorney-client relationship is not created by reading this post. If you would like further information regarding the matters discussed herein, you may post a comment.
