A former Uber driver is suing Snapchat and a teenager after a car accident left him with permanent brain damage.
Wentworth Maynard suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and spent five weeks in intensive care after the September 10, 2015 accident.
The suit alleges Christal McGee, of Spalding County was using a filter that tracked speed on the social media app, Snapchat. The suit filed by attorney Michael Lawson Neff alleges, McGee wanted to post an image of herself going fast, so she "pushed the speed of her Mercedes to above 80 miles per hour. McGee then pushed the speed of her Mercedes to above 90 miles per hour. And McGee continued to push the speed of her Mercedes to above 100 miles per hour."
Two other people, including a pregnant woman was in the car with McGee during the crash.
"The issue really is about distracted teenage drivers. It's about Snapchat encouraging teenagers to drive at fast speed for social status," Neff told NBC News, adding that neither McGee, who he said is 18 now, nor Snapchat have responded to the suit.
In a statement to NBC News, a Snapchat spokesperson said, "No Snap is more important than someone's safety. 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."
According to Neff, McGee posted a shot of herself on Snapchat after the crash with blood dripping down her forehead with the caption, "Lucky to be alive." See here. She could not be reached by NBC News.
Read More: http://nbcnews.to/1NUiNDK
