Lawsuit blames Snapchat for crash that left man with brain damage

App sued over speed filter

A Snapchat filter has landed the message- and image-sharing service in some legal trouble.

An image showing Christal McGee, 18, bleeding from her forehead with the caption, "Lucky to be Alive," was posted to Snapchat moments after the teen's car collided with an SUV in 2015.
Attorneys for the crash victim filed a lawsuit against McGee and Snapchat, saying the incident would not have happened if it was not for the app's speed filter, which records how fast a user is going and shares it with friends.

McGee was driving with three friends in the car along a stretch of highway outside Atlanta where the speed limit is 45 mph. In a lawsuit filed this week, attorneys say McGee was driving her father's Mercedes at 107 mph when she crashed into the victim's SUV, leaving the driver with permanent brain damage.

Lawyers argue the speed filter encourages dangerous driving.

Snapchat responded by saying that it comes with an on-screen warning that reads, "No Snap is more important than someone's safety. We actively discourage our community from using the speed filter while driving."

CBS News tried to reach out to McGee and her parents for a statement, but have not heard back.

The driver involved in the accident is seeking damages to pay for his medical bills.

 

 


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