Parking Lot / Garage Crashes

It is really common for people to underestimate the severity of a car crash that can happen in a parking lot or a parking garage. When you are imagining a car crash it is likely a high speed collision on the open road. In parking lots, vehicles typically are not moving at a high rate of speed. However, even seemingly minor crashes can still result in serious injuries.

It is estimated that around 20% of all car crashes occur in parking lots. The National Safety Council found on average at least 60,000 are injured and 500 or more die in the 50,000 plus crashes in parking lots and garages every year. Parking areas can be chaotic to navigate with vehicles coming from all directions, people pulling in and out of parking spaces, and many pedestrians walking around. There are also many blind spots for drivers when trying to navigate through parking lots and garages. In many of these crashes it can be difficult to determine who is at fault.

One of the leading causes of parking lot crashes is distracted driving. Cell phone use and other distractions while driving are a nationwide epidemic on the open road. However, it can be more prevalent in parking lots as people fall into a false sense of security believing that their attention to the road isn’t as important in these areas. The rules and laws of the road are too often an afterthought to a lot of people in parking lots.

• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Aggressive driving
• Blind spots
• Weather conditions
• Not obeying traffic signs

• Drivers backing up into each other
• A driver pulling forward out of a space, into an oncoming car
• A driver backing out of a parking space, into an oncoming car
• Two cars trying to get the same parking space
• A car rear-ends another as it is stopped

An crash between vehicles is not the only one that can occur in a parking lot or garage. Pedestrians can be injured by being struck by a moving vehicle. Many parking lots lack designated walking areas for pedestrians. Even when those areas are present, drivers may not see them until it is too late or fail to properly look out for them.

Children can be especially vulnerable to a parking lot pedestrian accident. They do not have the awareness of their surroundings that an adult has and are also less visible to drivers given their size.

If you have been injured in a parking lot or parking garage crash you should immediately seek medical attention even if you do not think you have been hurt. Make sure you have everything thoroughly examined and receive the proper care because if you are hurt you will need it documented by medical professionals to recover damages.

Having an experienced lawyer such as the personal injury lawyers at O’Connor Law will help guide you through this confusing time and help you deal with the insurance company to get the compensation you deserve. If you want someone on your side who will fight to get you what you deserve, give us a call.