New Jersey Judge to Decide if Text Sender Liable for Crash

A New Jersey judge will likely soon decide whether a woman who sent a text message to a male friend can be held liable for a car crash he caused while reading the message.

The Daily Record reports the legal question stems from a lawsuit filed by two Dover residents who were seriously injured when a 19-year-old driver crashed into their motorcycle in September 2009. The driver received three motor vehicle citations and pleaded guilty earlier this year.

The victim’s lawyer claims the woman aided and abetted the driver’s negligence by texting him when she knew or should have known he was driving.

But her lawyer is seeking to have her dismissed as a defendant, saying she had no control over when the driver would read the message.