A lawsuit has been filed blaming Snapchat for gross negligence in creating a filter that records one’s speed of travel, as it allegedly encourages drivers to use the app behind the wheel.
According to the lawsuit, the company is blamed for an accident in which an 18-year old girl smashed into an Uber driver, who suffered traumatic brain injuries and now needs a wheelchair.
It claims that the suit is “an action for the personal injuries and damages arising out of an automobile collision in which the critical cause of the collision was the use of Snapchat’s mobile software.”
The suit alleges that the woman was eager “to post an image of herself going fast” and was also enticed by the fact that Snapchat would “reward users who submitted photographs” by giving them a virtual trophy.
“On and before September 10, 2015, Snapchat knew that wrecks had occurred due to the use of Snapchat’s app while driving at high speed,” the lawsuit claims.
“Despite Snapchat’s actual knowledge of the danger from using its product’s speed filter while driving at excessive speeds, Snapchat did not remove or restrict access to the speed filter.”
In a statement, Snapchat refused to comment on the specific case but said that it does discourage people from using the app while driving.
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