You are driving your car on the way home after a long day at work. All you are looking forward to doing is getting home and relaxing for the evening. You pull up to a red light and watch the cross traffic go by as you wait. You’re almost home and the couch is calling your name. The green arrow lights up and you snap out of your reverie, ready to make your left turn. You’re midway through your turn, when suddenly you’re jolted in your seat like a bumper car. Your car spins uncontrollably and you hear the crunching of metal and glass all around you. You’ve been hit by a distracted driver. And they were playing Pokémon Go.
Unfortunately, this scenario has already played out numerous times and stories have filled news channels, social media and newspapers alike. The release of Pokémon Go has made an impact and not all of it has been positive.
Pokémon Go…Away
There is no doubt that the release of Pokémon Go has already made a cultural impact on our daily lives. The popular mobile app seems to completely overtake the player and easily lower their awareness of others around them as they diligently work to “catch them all.”
On its own, the game is just a fun diversion that fans of Pokémon can enjoy as the app appeals to a wide variety of age groups. Adults that grew up with Pokémon have eagerly adopted it and those new to the brand are enjoying the dynamic, real world nature of the game.
But what happens when players disregard their safety and the safety of others for the sake of a game? People get hurt–and it’s happening far too often. Your personal safety is of paramount importance. Yet players of Pokémon Go are jeopardizing the safety of others when they allow themselves to become completely enveloped in the mechanics of the game. Pokemon Go personal injuries impact all involved.
An article published by People Magazine highlights just a few of the incidents recorded over social media regarding the game and personal injuries caused or suffered by players.
One Twitter post even goes so far as to mention a car accident, but diminishes the seriousness of the accident by following it up with and update on how the Pokémon they were chasing got away.
Public Safety First
According to a Washington Post article, the game, created by Niantic, gives this warning to players:
“Pay attention to your surroundings; you never know what beautiful or interesting things you’ll see while playing the game.”
Washington Post
Despite the warning, we’re seeing the opposite. Car accidents, robberies, broken bones from falls, trespassing, injuries related to trespassing. All injuries that could have been avoided.
It’s important for you to be aware that these players are riding bikes, walking and driving in cars while playing the game. When their attention is divided between what they are doing and the game, this makes them a danger to everyone around them.
The experienced Texas Personal Injury Lawyers at Joyner + Joyner have successfully represented numerous individuals who have suffered injuries. Personal injury cases are time sensitive. If you’ve experienced a personal injury related to Pokémon Go activities, don’t hesitate to give our offices a call for a free consultation at 888-854-7163.
