Have you ever texted someone who you knew was driving when you hit the send button?
A New Jersey judge says that a “remote texter” may be responsible for third-party injuries in an accident caused by the driver receiving the texts.
“A person sending text messages has a duty not to text someone who is driving if the texter knows the recipient will view the text while driving,” explains the judge.
So imagine you are sitting on the couch in your living room. You know your friend is driving home from work and you send a text asking them if they want to come over for dinner. Your friend reads your text while driving, crosses the centre line of the highway, and causes a serious accident. Two motorcyclists were severely injured in the accident.
Despite being miles away from the accident, you could be responsible for the injuries to the motorcyclists.
The ruling should cause you to think twice before sending a text message to someone who might be driving. Save a life – don’t be a remote texter.
