Family Of Face-Time Car Crash Victim Sues Apple

On Christmas Eve 2014, a Texas man who was using Apple’s Face-Time chatting app while driving crashed into another car, killing five-year-old Moriah Modisette. Her family has sued Apple, saying the tech giant has a duty to warn motorists against using Face-Time while driving, and claiming Apple could have used patented technology to prohibit drivers from utilizing the app in a moving vehicle. The patent referenced, issued by the USPTO in April 2014, is designed to use a “lock-out mechanism” to prevent drivers from using their phones. The reliability of such lock-out services has been questioned, however. Apple has not commented on the suit, but has maintained that drivers are responsible for their own behavior. “For those customers who do not wish to turn off their iPhones or switch into Airplane Mode while driving to avoid distractions, we recommend the easy-to-use Do Not Disturb and Silent Mode features,” the company said in a statement.