Determining Liability in Parking Lot Accidents

By: Mesriani Law Group | Posted: 15th March 2010

Parking lot accidents can cause confusion and disagreement among the involved parties. No actual laws have been enacted concerning this kind of accident in shops or malls so when it does occur, parties usually disagree in establishing with who is at fault. In addition, most parking lots are viewed as private property, meaning normal road laws are not fully applicable in accidents that happen in this area.

In establishing liability in the incident, the primary indicator that will be considered is how it happened. For example, a collision happens when a driver was backing out of the stall. In this situation, it is often the person backing out who is seen as the one at fault because it is his or her duty to yield to outside traffic. This will vary, depending on where the accident happened.

Injuries and Fatalities

Most parking lot accidents are low speed collisions, meaning there is lower possibility of sustaining severe or fatal injuries compared to road accidents.

However, this accident can also become fatal in some instances. In fact, a 25-year-old man was killed after a Ford Explorer slid down an embankment and crushed him against a building. The accident happened in Westminster, Maryland.

The victim, who was identified as Westminster resident Brandon Levar Turner, was announced dead at the accident area.

Dealing with Parking Lot Accidents

Although these accidents are often low-speed crashes that only cause minimal injuries, people should still know how to deal with the situation.

If you are involved in a parking lot accident, here are two important tips on how to deal with it:

Call the police as soon as possible

Calling for police assistance is a good idea because they will be able to make a police report. Through this report, important facts regarding the accident will be documented. Police can also determine if a driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Call your insurance company

Report what happened to your insurance company as soon as you can. They will help in investigating all the vehicles involved in the incident. Studying the vehicles’ damages can tell how the actual accident happened and who is to blame for it.

Preventing Parking Lot Accidents
You can avoid being involved in a parking lot accident by doing the following:

• Drive slowly.

• Use a turn signal if you are about to make a turn.

• Park your car in the middle of the parking space.

• Park your car away from other vehicles, if there is still more space.

• Do not park near anything that might be dangerous like obstructions and defects.

• Always be careful if you are entering or leaving a parking area.

Doing these simple actions will not require much effort from drivers but it can greatly lessen the possibility that a parking lot accident might occur. However, if you have done the following tips but an accident still happened, it is advisable that you ask for a lawyer’s legal assistance. This professional will help in establishing who is liable in the incident.

To help you deal with issues involved in parking lot accidents and other personal injury cases, consult with our skilled personal injury attorneys. Visit our website and avail of our free case evaluation.
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Tags: instances, disagreement, police report, insurance company, parking lots, malls, fatal injuries, private property, road accidents, important facts, low speed