Car accidents in parking lots are an everyday occurrence. While most of these accidents occur at very low speeds and only involve minor property damage, a significant number involve serious injuries to drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
If you or your child, spouse, or aging parent has been injured in a parking lot accident in South Florida, you should speak with a Boca Raton car accident lawyer promptly about filing a claim for financial compensation.
There are two primary factors that lead to car accidents in parking lots: (i) driver negligence, and (ii) property owner negligence.
Drivers who are not paying attention or who are driving recklessly can easily cause serious injuries in the tight confines of a crowded parking lot.
Likewise, property owners and businesses that fail to maintain safe premises can be responsible for parking lot accidents as well, and their insurance policies can provide a critical source of financial compensation for victims and their families.
Our experienced car accident lawyers at Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers can help you with your parking lot accident. Call (561) 347-7770 or contact our Boca Raton personal injury office online to discuss your case.
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Parking Lot Accidents Involving Negligent Drivers
Drivers have a legal obligation to operate their vehicles safely at all times. This applies equally on public roads and in private parking lots. When a driver causes a parking lot accident by operating his or her vehicle in a negligent manner, the driver can be held liable under Florida law.
Driver negligence can be a factor in both collisions between vehicles and collisions involving pedestrians. Some common examples of scenarios in which a negligent driver may be liable for causing a parking lot accident include:
- Backing out of a parking space without looking for other moving vehicles
- Backing out of a parking space without looking for approaching pedestrians
- Driving too fast or attempting to quickly take a parking space before another driver
- Driving the wrong way down a one-way row of parking spaces
- Turning or entering a crosswalk at high speed or without looking
Airbags can deploy in collisions involving vehicles moving as slow as 10 miles per hour, and airbag deployment itself can cause serious injuries. However, even when airbags do not deploy, there is still a very real possibility of drivers and passengers suffering serious injuries.
Whiplash and concussions are potential risks; and, depending on the circumstances involved, various other types of traumatic injuries are possible as well.
For pedestrians, being hit by a car in a parking lot can result in injuries, including concussions, broken bones, soft tissue injuries, internal bleeding and internal organ damage.
While individuals of all ages are at risk, young children and older adults are particularly susceptible to suffering severe traumatic injuries if hit by a car. These individuals are also commonly at greater risk for being hit due to being less visible and less able to avoid a negligent driver.
Whether you (or your loved one) was injured in a vehicle-on-vehicle accident or while walking, the same rules that apply on the road apply to your parking lot accident claim.
This means that you can (and may have to) file a “no-fault” claim under your personal injury protection (PIP) policy, and you can file a fault-based claim to recover compensation for any significant or permanent injuries.
At Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, we rely on decades of experience to help our clients recover maximum compensation, and when you contact us a Boca Raton car accident lawyer will begin working on your case right away.
Parking Lot Accidents Involving Hazardous Property Conditions
Many parking lot accidents result not from the negligence of drivers, but from the negligence of property owners and business owners. In these cases, Florida’s no-fault insurance law does not apply, and victims can pursue claims against negligent property owners and business owners without first needing to file a claim for PIP.
Various types of hazardous property conditions can lead to parking lot accidents. This includes accidents involving multiple vehicles, accidents in which motorists and pedestrians are injured in single-vehicle collisions, and accidents in which pedestrians are injured due to falls.
For example, some common grounds for seeking financial compensation from a property owner or business owner after a parking lot accident include:
- Poorly marked or unmarked walkways or crosswalks
- Missing or inadequate signage to notify drivers of pedestrian crossings
- Slip and trip hazards, such as rainwater accumulation, asphalt cracks, and debris
- Visual obstructions that prevent drivers from seeing pedestrians
- Unmarked curbs, curb cuts and sidewalks
Claims against property owners and business owners involving parking lot accidents are governed by the law of premises liability. Florida’s premises liability law provides different levels of protection under different scenarios, and it provides the greatest level of protection to individuals who are on someone else’s property for business purposes.
So, if you were shopping, visiting your doctor or accountant, attending a game or concert, going out to eat, or patronizing a business in any other manner, all you need to prove is that the property or business owner should have known about the hazard and failed to take appropriate steps to either (i) remedy the hazard, or (ii) warn of its existence.
What To Do After a Parking Lot Accident in South Florida
After a parking lot accident in South Florida, protecting your legal rights involves seeking medical attention right away and speaking with a West Palm Beach car accident lawyer as soon as possible.
When you contact Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, a lawyer will walk you through everything you need to know, and we will launch an investigation in order to gather key evidence promptly.
Once we have the evidence we need, we will pursue all available claims for financial compensation on your behalf, and we will fight vigorously to make sure you and your family receive the compensation you deserve.
Discuss More with a Boca Raton Car Accident Lawyer in a Free and Confidential Consultation
If you would like to speak with a lawyer about filing a claim after a parking lot accident in Boca Raton, we encourage you to contact us promptly. You can reach us 24/7, and you only pay if we win, so call 561-556-7873 or tell us how we can help online now.
