When common sense fails, just sue Google
July 23, 2010 by Jared BilskiPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest news & views, Lighter-side, Technology
This frivolous lawsuit against the tech giant led one expert to ask, “If Google told you to jump off a cliff, would you?”
The lawsuit in question involves Utah resident Lauren Rosenberg. Ms. Rosenberg used Google Maps on her Blackberry to get walking directions.
Problem: Part of the directions put Ms. Rosenberg right on U.S. Route 224 — a major highway without any sidewalks.
I think we all know what happened next. Completely unprepared for anything as daunting as a road without a sidewalk, Ms. Rosenberg was struck by a car.
Of course, Ms. Rosenberg blames Google for entire incident. So now she’s suing the company for over $100,000 for its “careless, reckless, and negligent providing of unsafe directions,” which ultimately led to her being “stricken by a motor vehicle.”
Even though Google maps offers warnings like the ones seen here, devices like Blackberrys don’t always have enough room on the screen to display these warnings.
In such cases, Google maps users are expected to use a modicum of common sense which, as this case demonstrates, is a recipe for disaster.
We’ll keep you posted on the outcome.
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Tags: Blackberry, Common sense, Google, Google Maps, Lauren Rosenberg, Lawsuit, Walking directions, Warnings
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Was she blind?
July 26th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Some people are not willing to admit they have no common sense so instead they sue. I guess they think suing will make them look less like an idiot.
July 28th, 2010 at 8:08 am
Instead of filing a lawsuit, she should just apply for Social Security Disability because she is obviously mentally impaired. She would get more in the long-run!
July 29th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
is she related to the McDonalds coffee drinking lady or the lady who set the cruise on the Winnebago and went to back of motor home while it was speeding down the freeway with no driver? More senseless lawsuits….TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS PEOPLE!!
July 30th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
This is the kind of lawsuit that clogs up our court system and keeps the cost of products going up.
One must assume that if she was mentally capable of using her blackberry to Google for directions, that she had the mental capacity to avoid the highway when she reached it.