LA Times
An L.A. County woman sues the search engine giant over directions that allegedly led to her being struck by a car. But another woman, also named Lauren Rosenberg, bears the brunt of public abuse.
Last week, a Los Angeles County woman named Lauren Rosenberg sued Google in federal court for damages, alleging it was responsible for her being hit by a car. Rosenberg — who also sued the driver who hit her — said the search engine giant was "careless, reckless, and negligent" in supplying her with walking directions in Park City, Utah, last year that led her onto a rural state highway with no sidewalks.
And this week, Lauren Rosenberg of Santa Monica got bombarded with the public reaction. Strangers left tart phone messages and withering e-mails lambasting her for suing Google.
The problem is — they found the wrong Lauren Rosenberg. This Lauren Rosenberg owns a public relations company, did not sue Google over bad directions, and says she's confident she wouldn't have followed those directions anyway. ("Just because Google says to walk on a highway, you don't walk on a highway.")
What she's struggling to cope with is the fallout mistakenly directed her way. "The first one I received was an e-mail from a friend saying, 'Gee, I thought you were smarter than that,' " Rosenberg said.That's when Rosenberg discovered that someone who shared her name had sued Google. "I replied, 'I swear I'm smarter than that.' Smiley face."
At least her friends are funny — or worried. ("Not you, I hope?" e-mailed one friend with a link to a story on the plaintiff Rosenberg.)
Strangers, however, have been scathing.
"They all tell me I'm stupid and how dare I sue Google, take some responsibility for your own actions," Rosenberg said. "At first I thought it was funny. I just cracked up. Ha, ha, ha. Then today when I got more, I thought this could be a problem."
She has posted something on her blog headlined "A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY" that alerts the public that she is not the same Lauren Rosenberg. "Can you say 'damage control'?" she concludes.
The attorney representing the "other" Rosenberg — the one who really is suing Google — did not return a phone message.
