Have You Been Injured in A Parking Lot Accident?

Accidents in parking lots happen all the time. Tens of thousands of crashes occur in parking lots and garage structures annually and as many as one in every five car accidents occur in parking lots.

What are the most common parking lot accidents?

1. • When two cars are backing up and collide into each other.
   • When a driver pulls forward out of a space, and into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
   • When a driver backs out of a space and into traffic.
   • When two cars are competing for the same space and collide.
   • When one car rear-ends another in traffic or at a stop sign.

How are parking lot accidents caused?

Distracted driving is one of the biggest issues. In a poll conducted by the National Safety Council, more than half of drivers use their phones to call, text, email, or check social media while driving through parking lots.

Other common causes of parking lot car accidents are drivers are being negligent by:

• • Failing to obey speed limits or stop signs
  • Driving outside of designated lanes
  • Failing to yield the right-of-way
  • Failing to look for pedestrians or other vehicles before backing out of a parking spot, or pedestrians failing to watch for moving vehicles

How do insurance companies determine fault?

Insurance companies will look at all of the evidence related to the accident. They may review:

• • Statements from drivers
  • Witness statements
  • Surveillance footage (if available)
  • Any pictures of the scene and the location of the damage on each vehicle to determine how the accident happened

The insurance companies want to pay out as little money as they can, so insurance adjusters will try to deny or minimize the value of the claim. 

What to do if you’ve been injured in a parking lot accident?

Handle this accident like you would any other type of accident by:

• • Getting treatment for your injuries
  • Filing a police report and/or incident report with the business
  • Gathering contact information from any witnesses
  • Documenting the entire scene of the accident such as vehicle damage, injuries, and any signage or markings on the road

Parking lots and garages, unlike roads, are private property. You may be able to file a premises liability claim against the property owner to get compensation if confusing or inadequate signage, poorly marked spaces, or bad lot design contributed to the accident. One of the best things you can do for your case is taking pictures of everything at the scene.