Cause of Death and Catastrophic Injuries – Taking a Selfie?

You’ve seen gawking tourists pouting and posing with or without a stick to get a better angle, humans engaged in an odd, new pastime—shooting selfies. Maybe you can be counted among those who love to fill their social media timelines with pics they’ve snapped throughout the day, but especially when traveling and visiting exotic locations.

This selfie-taking phenomenon is not limited to the United States. People are taking selfies and injuring themselves and others worldwide. A study published in the Turkish Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery found that selfie-related injuries and deaths were reported most frequently in India, the US and Russia. The most popular pose preference was standing on the edge of a cliff, and the most commonly reported accident was falling from height to the ground. Multiple traumas and drowning were the most frequent cause of death. The researchers recommend that drastic measures be  taken to reduce selfie-related injuries and deaths.

A Washington Post story tells of the more than 250 people worldwide who have died while taking selfies since 2011, according to the findings in a research study conducted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences. More than 85% of the victims in the study were between the ages of 10 and 30 years old. The Post story includes several deaths by selfie such as:

• A man in India who tried to take a selfie with an injured bear and was mauled to death.
• A hiker died after he fell more than 800 feet off a cliff at Yosemite National Park.
• A California woman slipped and fell to her death from a 200-foot cliff at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan.

An ABC News story reports that a young woman drowned when she slipped off a log in South Jetty Park Beach in Oregon while trying to take a selfie. A different woman fell from a Norwegian cruise line ship in the Bahamas, but was later rescued.

In Los Angeles, a woman visiting a sculpture museum lost her balance while trying to take a selfie and damaged more than $200,000 worth of art. Taking selfies doesn’t often turn deadly, but when done recklessly or  carelessly it can result  in  catastrophic injuries.

Distracted because of #carselfie?

If taking selfies while standing at the edge of an 800-foot cliff is not dangerous enough, try taking one while driving. Yes, #carselfies and taking selfie videos while driving is wildly popular on Instagram, Snapchat, and Vine. The distracted driving traffic crash statistics do not specify what the driver who caused the crash was doing on their device just before the crash, but 3,166 people were killed by distracted driving in 2017 according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). In North Carolina, the NHTSA reports that there were 356 fatalities among drivers and passengers of motor vehicles from 2011-2015, in which the driver was noted to have been distracted. These crashes are also classified as “careless/inattentive” because law enforcement is not always able to determine the precise source of the distraction after a crash occurs.

We are not trying to ruin your selfie-taking fun, but we do want you to remember to keep your safety and the safety of others in mind when you are going for an extreme selfie from a risky location, or while driving. If you have been injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver, an experienced car accident lawyer from Warren & Kallianos, PLLC is here to represent you.

If you have been injured in a car accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, the Charlotte car accident lawyers at Warren & Kallianos can help you get justice. Call 704-377-7777 or complete our contact form today to schedule a free consultation.