Parking lot dangers are often overlooked, but a parking lot can be the scene of some truly devastating accidents. There is a great deal of activity going on in parking lots. There is a concentration of pedestrians moving around and vehicles backing in and out of parking spaces. With so much going on, car accidents can and do happen all too often. Even at low speeds, the injuries sustained in parking lot accidents can be painful and lasting. What some may dismiss as a minor fender bender, can leave people with head injuries, whiplash, broken bones, and a host of other pains and strains.
Common Types of Parking Lot Accidents
With so many people and so many things going on in a relatively small space, it is no wonder that parking lot accidents occur. Distracted driving is a common cause of parking lot accidents as is, somewhat surprisingly, speeding. Drivers should maintain very low speeds in parking lots and oftentimes this does not happen.
Other common causes of parking lot accidents include:
- Drivers failing to check behind them before backing out of a space
- Increasing speed to beat another driver to a parking spot
- Disregarding parking lot signs and traffic signals
- Two cars backing up at the same time and colliding with each other
- Drivers pulling forward out of a space and into the path of another vehicle
- Vehicles rear ending other vehicles at stop signs
Vehicle drivers, vehicle passengers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and others are all at risk of injury in these parking lot accidents. It can be difficult, however, to determine fault in a parking lot accident. For instance, who is at fault when two cars back into each other? In these kinds of cases, it is a general rule of thumb to look for things such as which car was moving. The driver of the moving vehicle will usually be at fault. Additionally, you need to look at who had the right of way. When there are two moving vehicles, one will usually have the right of way based on things like the traffic pattern.
When it is difficult to determine who is at fault, making an injury claim with the other driver’s insurance company can be an uphill battle. The insurance company will use every excuse to try and avoid liability and get out of paying for a victim’s injuries. Be sure to document the accident by doing things like taking pictures at the scene and getting names, contact information, and statements from any witnesses. This type of evidence can prove invaluable should you need to support a claim that the other driver was at fault for the accident that caused you injury.
Car Accident Injury Attorneys
The dedicated car accident injury attorneys see clients left with terrible injuries from parking lot accidents. People get complacent in these generally low speed areas. People are often injured as a result. If you have been injured in a parking lot accident, the Cassidy Law Firm is here for you. Contact us today.