Teenager in US sued for 'Snapchat car crash'

Christal McGee, 18, is accused of using the Snapchat’s speed filter, which left a man brain damaged

A teenager is being sued in the United States over claims that she was using Snapchat while driving, causing a crash which left a man's brain damaged.

Christal McGee, 18, is accused of using the Snapchat’s speed filter while driving, which lets users see how fast they are moving.

Reportedly, the teenager kept on using the app following the crash, posting pictures of her injuries and saying she was "lucky to be alive". Christal McGee and her passengers were treated for minor injuries.



Wentworth Maynard, who was a passenger in the other vehicle, now needs constant care from family, according to his lawyers.

In a statement, Wentworth's wife Karen said, "He's so tired he falls asleep in his wheelchair during the day."

"We used to sit on the sofa and watch TV in the evening, and Wentworth would hug me," Karen Maynard claims in court papers. "Now, he can't do that any more."

The suit filed by the couple also targets Snapchat. They argue the firm should have known the filter could be dangerous and might encourage distracted driving and speeding.

"This is a product liability case because Snapchat put something very dangerous in the marketplace without any warnings or safeguards," argue the lawyers for the couple.

"McGee wanted to post an image of herself going fast," they say.

According to the lawyers, McGee had said she was "just trying to get the car to 100 miles per hour to post it on Snapchat".

However, Snapchat said the app discourages people from using the filter while driving.

"No snap is more important than someone's safety," it says.

"We actively discourage our community from using the speed filter while driving, including by displaying a 'Do not Snap and Drive' warning message in the app itself," it adds.

This article originally appeared on BBC.