Personal injury Lawyers may soon be celebrating the arrival of Nintendo’s smash hit “Pokémon Go”. Players are reported as having caused injuries to others already.
The augmented reality game sees players capture, battle, and train Pokemon using a combination of GPS technology and a device’s camera to make it seem like they are appearing in real-life situations. We will all have seen players walking along streets staring at their mobile phones and suddenly stopping and frantically swiping their screens.
Just last week the media has reported on two men in San Diego who fell off a cliff while playing the game. Then there was the ex-Marine who crashed his younger brother’s car into a tree trying to catch a Lapras. He was fortunate to escape with just a broken ankle and some cuts on his leg, but the car apparently fared far worse.
In at least one incident, armed robbers actually used a “lure” tool within the game to tempt players into remote locations. Four people were arrested earlier in July after they robbed players in Missouri.
In Bosnia, police have warned players to avoid former minefields, in Indonesia a French man was arrested for wandering on to a military base, and in Australia players were mugged at gunpoint.
Whilst I wouldn’t want to stop anyone doing anything that got them out into the great outdoors, there are obvious dangers and accidents waiting to happen if players are walking into other people or in front of traffic whilst concentrating on their phones rather than looking where they are going.
Most households have contents or buildings insurance which cover any resident if they accidentally injure someone, so if you are injured by someone playing this game, make sure you obtain their name and address (it is also a good idea to take a picture of them) as they may well be covered by a policy that will pay compensation to you. If you suffer a serious injury, treat it like a road accident and inform the police.
Stay safe out there Pokémon hunters – and before you venture out – make sure you are covered by insurance!
If you are injured by someone playing Pokémon Go or otherwise, please call us on 0114 218 4000 for free advice or email me at john.green@tayloremmet.co.uk
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