Tech Companies Should be Accountable for Accidents Caused by Drivers Distracted with Wayfinding Apps
Big tech companies should be held accountable for drivers who use wayfinding apps when causing accidents killing, or seriously injuring someone, says attorney Ralph Spooner who is representing the estate of Peter Pellegrin who died after a food delivery vehicle turned into his Vespa scooter.
Peter Pellegrin’s Estate Seeks $16.4 Million
Spooner, who filed a $16.4 million lawsuit for the estate of the late 74-year-old Portland resident, says tech companies make huge profits while drivers barely make a living. He says companies like Instacart are aware that drivers using apps become distracted and often refute responsibility, saying that drivers are independent contractors.
The accident occurred during the daytime on February 7 on the Southwest Boones Ferry Road, near the Lake Oswego and Portland border.
The lawsuit alleges that Instacart driver Melina Torres (27) was using wayfinding technology that distracted her when she turned her Jeep Grand Cherokee into Peter Pellegrin’s scooter.
The lawsuit alleges that Instacart, a food delivery company, is partially responsible for his death because it supplied the driver with wayfinding technology that distracted her while driving.
Instacart Driver Convicted and Fined
Police reports state that Torres told the responding officers her phone was mounted on a holder. She said she was unfamiliar with the area where she was delivering groceries, and that she did not see Pellegrin before turning into him.
Portland police determined that there was insufficient evidence that Torres was distracted and wrote a citation for making a dangerous left turn. She was later convicted and fined $140. Witnesses told police that Pellegrin was driving slowly at about the 35 mph speed limit.
Peter Pellegrin, who was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, was admitted to Oregon Health & Science University but died of his injuries 25 days later. Spooner says before his death Pellegrin was ‘in agony’ and displayed ‘mental anguish.’
Spooner says big tech companies like Uber, Grubhub, DoorDash, and Lyft have been sued after accidents in recent years involving delivery drivers, motorists, and pedestrians. In 2023, Spooner’s law firm signed a confidential settlement involving a lawsuit against DoorDash and a driver accused of using the company app when he jumped a stop sign, seriously injuring a motorist in Clackamas County.
Nanci Klinger who was married to Pellegrin for almost 40 years is representing his estate.
Peter Pellegrin was a retired national park ranger in Alaska and California. He also built traditional wooden boats and was a teacher and environmental scientist involved in ‘innovative groundwater cleanup techniques,’ according to Spooner who filed the suit in the Multnomah County Circuit Court last week.