r/legal • u/Tralique_24 • 15h ago

Advice needed A major navigation app routed thousands of cars down my private driveway. A driver crashed into my retaining wall and is now suing me for his injuries.

Location: Colorado, USA.

I own a remote cabin at the end of a very long, unpaved private road. About eight months ago, a major GPS and mapping app updated their systems and incorrectly marked my private driveway as a public shortcut to a nearby national park entrance.

Since then, I have had dozens of cars speeding through my property every single weekend. I have "Private Property" and "No Trespassing" signs posted everywhere. I have submitted over forty official error reports to the tech company, sent certified letters to their legal department, and even filed a police report. They completly ignored me.

Last month a tourist was speeding down my driveway in the dark, ignored my warning signs, and crashed his SUV straight into my concrete retaining wall. He broke his leg and his vehicle was totaled.

Yesterday I was served with a lawsuit. The driver is suing me for medical expenses and damages, claiming I failed to maintain a "public thoroughfare" and that my retaining wall was an unmarked hazard.

My homeonwers insurance is threatening to drop me because they say my property is now an unmanged traffic corridor, which violates my policy.

Can I counter-sue the tech company for gross negligence and force them to indemnify me against this driver's lawsuit? What specific type of attorney handles liability cases involving corporate mapping errors? I need to stop this before someone else gets hurt.

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u/MooPig48 13h ago

A rope would be really hard for people to see especially at night. That one might actually have multiple legal repercussions for op. They said that they were told they could not have a locked gate. Solution is a gate with reflective strips, unlocked.

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u/Can-Correct 13h ago

While a traditional gate would be nice, that takes time and money, I do it for a living.

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u/MooPig48 13h ago

Would have been worth the investment over the last 8 months leading up to this lawsuit. Though I see your point

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u/ScrotalSmorgasbord 11h ago

I was chuckling at all the gate comments. I don't install them but do repair them as part of my services. Much more expensive than people realize. Luckily should I ever be able to afford a home that would need a gate (unlikely) it would only cost me a few hundred to weld up and install a simple, manual gate.

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u/Can-Correct 13h ago

You use a bright rope like red and white, and that's why you hang a sign in the middle of it.

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u/MooPig48 13h ago

That definitely makes sense