Oh Snap! Georgia Supreme Court Revives Suit Against Snapchat for Alleged Faulty Speed Filter

In Maynard v. Snapchat Inc., No. S21G0555, 2022 Ga. LEXIS 68, the Supreme Court of Georgia reversed and remanded an appellate court decision that dismissed the popular mobile app Snapchat from suit. Plaintiffs Wentworth and Karen Miller (collectively, Plaintiffs) were struck by a driver who was allegedly using the popular social media app at the time of the accident. More specifically, the Plaintiffs alleged the driver was using the Snapchat “Speed Filter” feature, which displays and records your speed on camera. Users can then send video messages to friends that display the speed you were traveling at the time the video was taken. The Plaintiffs alleged that the app was negligently designed and Snapchat was at fault for promoting unsafe driving through use of the Speed Filter. Snapchat successfully argued that they had no duty to prevent people from driving recklessly or negligently. Further, they argued that the act of speeding was a superseding and intervening act that broke the causal connection between its alleged negligence and the Plaintiffs’ injuries. The trial court dismissed Snapchat at the pleadings stage, and the appellate court affirmed. However, the Supreme Court of Georgia held that the Plaintiffs alleged enough facts at the pleadings…
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