Family suing Google Maps after father drives off a bridge

The family of a North Carolina man who died driving over a collapsed bridge says he was following directions in Google Maps.
2:33 | 09/23/23

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Transcript for Family suing Google Maps after father drives off a bridge
HOMETOWN ARE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. >>> WE START WITH THE FAMILY OF >>> WE START WITH THE FAMILY OF A NORTH CAROLINA MAN WHO DIED A NORTH CAROLINA MAN WHO DIED DRIVING OVER A COLLAPSED BRIDGE DRIVING OVER A COLLAPSED BRIDGE SAYING HE WAS FOLLOWED SAYING HE WAS FOLLOWED DIRECTIONS IN GOOGLE MAPS. DIRECTIONS IN GOOGLE MAPS. ABC'S MELISSA ADAN IS BACK WITH ABC'S MELISSA ADAN IS BACK WITH THAT STORY. THAT STORY. MELISSA, THERE'S NOW A LAWSUIT. MELISSA, THERE'S NOW A LAWSUIT. >> IT REALLY IS DISAPPOINTING >> IT REALLY IS DISAPPOINTING HERE. HERE. A NORTH CAROLINA WIDOW IS SUING A NORTH CAROLINA WIDOW IS SUING GOOGLE AFTER SHE SAYS GOOGLE GOOGLE AFTER SHE SAYS GOOGLE MAPS GUIDED HER HUSBAND OFF THE MAPS GUIDED HER HUSBAND OFF THE ROAD AND OFF THE EDGE OF A ROAD AND OFF THE EDGE OF A COLLAPSED BRIDGE. COLLAPSED BRIDGE. THAT CRASH KILLING THE FATHER OF THAT CRASH KILLING THE FATHER OF TWO. TWO. THIS MORNING ALICIA PAXTON IS THIS MORNING ALICIA PAXTON IS MARKING A YEAR AFTER HER HUSBAND MARKING A YEAR AFTER HER HUSBAND DIED AFTER DRIVING A CAR OFF A DIED AFTER DRIVING A CAR OFF A BRIDGE IN NORTH CAROLINA. BRIDGE IN NORTH CAROLINA. SHE'S SUING GOOGLE FOR SHE'S SUING GOOGLE FOR NEGLIGENCE, ALLEGING ITS NEGLIGENCE, ALLEGING ITS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS DEATH. RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS DEATH. >> ANGER AND WHY? >> ANGER AND WHY? IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO EASY TO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO EASY TO PREVENT THIS. PREVENT THIS. >> Reporter: HER HUSBAND PHILLIP >> Reporter: HER HUSBAND PHILLIP PAXSON WAS DRIVING HOME FROM HIS PAXSON WAS DRIVING HOME FROM HIS 9-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY 9-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY PARTY WHEN THE UNTHINKABLE PARTY WHEN THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED. HAPPENED. >> YOU REALLY CAN'T FATHOM IT. >> YOU REALLY CAN'T FATHOM IT. EVEN THE PICTURES -- UNLESS YOU EVEN THE PICTURES -- UNLESS YOU GO THERE AND LOOK AT THE SITE. GO THERE AND LOOK AT THE SITE. >> Reporter: ACCORDING TO THE >> Reporter: ACCORDING TO THE LAWSUIT HE WAS DRIVING THROUGH LAWSUIT HE WAS DRIVING THROUGH AN UNFAMILIAR NEIGHBORHOOD AND AN UNFAMILIAR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WAS USING GOOGLE MAPS THE NIGHT WAS USING GOOGLE MAPS THE NIGHT HIS SUV DROVE OFF THE BRIDGE. HIS SUV DROVE OFF THE BRIDGE. HIS VEHICLE WAS DISCOVERED THE HIS VEHICLE WAS DISCOVERED THE FOLLOWING MORNING. FOLLOWING MORNING. >> IT WAS A CRATER IN THE MIDDLE >> IT WAS A CRATER IN THE MIDDLE OF A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD ON OF A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD ON A DARK AND RAINY NIGHT. A DARK AND RAINY NIGHT. HE WAS TRYING TO BE THERE FOR HE WAS TRYING TO BE THERE FOR HIS FAMILY. HIS FAMILY. >> Reporter: THE FILING CLAIMING >> Reporter: THE FILING CLAIMING THE BRIDGE IS UNMARKED WITHOUT THE BRIDGE IS UNMARKED WITHOUT BARRICADES AND HAD BEEN FALLING BARRICADES AND HAD BEEN FALLING APART FOR A DECADE. APART FOR A DECADE. GOOGLE'S GPS SERVICE STILL GOOGLE'S GPS SERVICE STILL INSTRUCTED DRIVERS TO CROSS IT. INSTRUCTED DRIVERS TO CROSS IT. >> AS OUTLINED IN THE COMPLAINT, >> AS OUTLINED IN THE COMPLAINT, WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT EVEN AFTER WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT EVEN AFTER THIS DEADLY INCIDENT GOOGLE THIS DEADLY INCIDENT GOOGLE CONTINUED TO ROUTE PEOPLE OVER CONTINUED TO ROUTE PEOPLE OVER THAT COLLAPSED BRIDGE. THAT COLLAPSED BRIDGE. >> Reporter: GOOGLE SAYING IN A >> Reporter: GOOGLE SAYING IN A STATEMENT TO ABC NEWS, WE HAVE STATEMENT TO ABC NEWS, WE HAVE THE DEEPEST SYMPATHY FOR THE THE DEEPEST SYMPATHY FOR THE PAXSON FAMILY. PAXSON FAMILY. OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE ACCURATE OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE ACCURATE ROUTING INFORMATION AND MAPS. ROUTING INFORMATION AND MAPS. WE'RE REVIEWING THIS LAWSUIT. WE'RE REVIEWING THIS LAWSUIT. AS FOR THE FAMILY, THEY'RE AS FOR THE FAMILY, THEY'RE SEEKING DAMAGES, BUT NO AMOUNT SEEKING DAMAGES, BUT NO AMOUNT HAS BEEN SET. HAS BEEN SET. >> I JUST WANT ANSWERS AND I >> I JUST WANT ANSWERS AND I WANT WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE, I WANT WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE, I MEAN, TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE MEAN, TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST -- WE WANT AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST -- WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. >> NOW THAT LAWSUIT ALSO NAMES >> NOW THAT LAWSUIT ALSO NAMES SEVERAL PRIVATE PROPERTY SEVERAL PRIVATE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, CLAIMING MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, CLAIMING THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COLLAPSED BRIDGE AND THAT LAND.

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