Driver using Snapchat causes serious accident

As an ongoing case illustrates, a new Snapchat filter that some people are using while driving puts others in Washington and elsewhere at risk for serious or fatal injury accidents. In one case, a woman in Georgia decided to use the filter, which shows how fast a phone is moving, in her car while driving

The woman reportedly got her car up to 107 mph before slamming into another vehicle on Sept. 10, 2015. A man in the other car incurred traumatic brain injuries and now must rely on a wheelchair or walker in order to get around.

The victim and his wife have filed a lawsuit against Snapchat and the young woman. Accidents involving Snapchat use and driving have also happened elsewhere. In Washington, a young person did so and had a rollover crash. A case in Philadelphia that killed three women is thought to be the result of using Snapchat while driving.

Distracted driving can lead to fatal motor vehicle accidents. Using a cellphone while behind the wheel is simply not safe. People should refrain from using electronic devices or doing anything that distracts them while they are driving. When they do so, they endanger their lives as well as the lives of those around them.

When a person dies because of a distracted driver, the surviving family members often must deal with adverse financial circumstances as well as grief. An attorney for the family could suggest to the family that the filing of a wrongful death lawsuit could bring some needed compensation for funeral and interment expenses and loss of contribution, among other amounts.

Source: Yahoo, “Driver causes major accident while trying to use a Snapchat filter,” Mic, April 26, 2016