The recent filing of a lawsuit against Snapchat has sparked incredible media attention and comment. An 18 year-old girl was reportedly using Snachat while driving over 100 mph and seriously injured a man in a crash. Not only was the 18 year old sued, but also Snapchat, the manufacturer of the app she was using at the time of the crash. That makes this lawsuit different than those filed against just the distracted driver. The lawsuit contends that Snapchat encouraged dangerous and reckless driving by providing a “speed filter” that measured the speed of the user and then posted that speed over the photo or video taken. The lawsuit contends that the driver was trying to snap a photo showing she was travelling over 100 mph. That allegation may have some support based on a media interview with one of the passengers in the 18 year old’s car at the time of the crash.
To see my discussion of the legal responsibility of Snapchat , as well as the moral responsibility of Snapchat see my article published in the Huffington Post.
Joel Feldman
Joel Feldman is the father of the late Casey Feldman and founder of the Casey Feldman Foundation and its sponsored project, EndDD.org. He has been a practicing attorney for 34 years and a shareholder in the law firm of Anapol Weiss in Philadelphia. He received a masters in counseling in 2013 and speaks throughout the U.S. and Canada to teens and adults, changing attitudes and behaviors through the science based, End Distracted Driving program. Joel also provides death notification training to law enforcement and the medical community. Joel can be reached at [email protected]
