The quest for Pokémon, Pikachu, Psyduck and other creatures continues, but many of the more than 15 million players who have downloaded the app are placing themselves and others in danger.
In their zeal to reach the next level, capture the next creature or find Lucky Eggs, they are walking into traffic, trampling on private property and exposing themselves to unsafe conditions.
The game recently claimed its first accident victim when 28-year-old Steven Cary slammed his car into a tree while looking at a special Pokémon on his app. He looked down for a second and woke up later in an ambulance, according to a Facebook post. His car hit a tree and he suffered a broken ankle and cuts to his legs. In another incident, a player parked his car illegally to catch a Pokemon and the car was struck by a second vehicle.
Who’s liable and who pays?
When incidents like this occur, who is responsible and whose insurance carrier has to pay? In all likelihood, San Francisco-base software developer Niantic Labs didn’t anticipate the level of danger associated with a game where players wander out into traffic, travel into dark, unfamiliar areas late at night or drive while checking their game “for just a minute.”
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