You may have noticed adults and children alike hobbling around, wandering mindlessly into a busy road, walking off cliffs, falling into ditches, bumping into parked cars, telephone poles, and street signs. Thousands of them, swarms of inattentive and distracted people mesmerized by the harsh LED light from their smartphones. Is this a zombie apocalypse? No. Its Pokemon Go.
You can’t blame them. Pokemon is at the heart of every person who grew up in the 90’s. You’ve dreamt of catching them all, and being the greatest Pokemon trainer there ever was. Your prized possession was your holographic Charizard. Your favorite t-shirt had a Pikachu on it. Pokemon Blue is still the greatest video game. Binders of your old cards collect dust in your parent’s basement; parting with them will kill a special part of you. Now, peering into your smartphone is like looking back to your third grad self. Pokemon Go, rife with nostalgia, awakens the Ash Ketchum in you. Pallet Town is now your own town; the local gym, now your local library. Pidgies are in your apple tree, Bulbasaurs in your front yard. Pokemon Go is the greatest.
But also dangerous.
Reports of Pokemon Go related injuries happen everyday. Twitter feeds with #PokemonGo report hundreds if not thousands of people bragging about falling down flights of stairs, running into stationary objects, and getting hit by a car. Police reports Pokemon Go users breaking into private property to catch certain Pokemon.
One tweet read, “I drove into a parked car while trying to catch a Squirtle. The Squirtle got away.”
Another Pokemon Go user reported that she fell down a ditch and broke her leg and ended up in the ER. She told the doctors that she broke her leg walking her dog.
As the injuries, robberies, and trespassing reports continue, The Pokemon Company stated, “We are constantly looking at ways to add safety features to Pokemon Go and expect to incorporate some features based on user experience into future builds.” When you open the Pokemon Go app, you are required to agree to respect private property, be aware of your surroundings, and not play while driving. Doing this takes a lot of liability from the company, and places it on the users.
Table of Contents
Pokemon Go Safety
Playing Pokemon Go safely is as easy as looking up. Be safe by:
- understanding when a Weedle isn’t worth it.
- looking up when you’re moving.
- putting your phone away when you’re driving.
You can also avoid getting arrested by simply staying off private property.
If you have been injured while trying to catch a Bulbasaur, Charmander, or any other Pokemon, call us today. The Attorneys at Christensen and Hymas might not be Pokemon masters, but they are masters of getting you the right compensation you deserve in any accident or injury. Our Salt Lake City firm, home of Rattatat’s and Pidgies, offers premier support for victims of Pokemon related injuries.