In September of 2015, Maynard Wentworth sustained a traumatic brain injury when a teen driver, Christal McGee, struck his vehicle at 107 miles per hour. As a result of the accident, he was hospitalized for four months.
Now, the Wentworth’s have filed a lawsuit stemming from this crash. In addition to the driver, Snapchat has also been named as a defendant.
According to a passenger in McGee’s vehicle, McGee was trying to get the car to 100 miles per hour so she could post it on Snapchat. The passenger also stated that she saw the filter hit 113 miles per hour. McGee was apparently just about to post the Snapchat when she crashed into Wentworth’s vehicle.
The Wentworths allege that Snapchat was negligent for failing to delete the filter, even though it was cited in similar accidents prior to the September 2015 crash. The lawsuit further argues that Snapchat motivates drivers to use the filter by giving user’s a “trophy,” which is one of the app’s badges given to users after they complete a task. Snapchat denies offering trophies for high-speed driving. Snapchat also points to the filter’s “Do NOT Snap and Drive” warning message as evidence that it does not encourage the use of the filter while driving.
Snapchat’s speed filter is only one of the distractions that might divert a driver’s attention from the road. Whether Snapchat is found liable or not, distractions like this exist and present serious danger for everyone on the road.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a distracted driver, contact one of the experienced attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner for a free consultation by calling (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211.