Parking Lot Accidents and Liability

Parking lots and public garages should not be places where you need to worry about car collisions and injuries, yet crashes happen in these locations more often than you might suspect. Indeed, according to the National Safety Council (NSC), “tens of thousands of crashes occur in parking lots and garage structures annually,” resulting in hundreds of fatalities and thousands of nonfatal injuries. Parking lots and public garages are more dangerous at certain times of the year than others, such as Black Friday or the days leading up to Christmas, when there are more retail shoppers out than usual — yet parking lot injuries can happen at any time of the year.

In most cases, parking lot collisions happen because of a driver’s negligence, and other vehicle occupants or pedestrians are injured. Our Carlsbad personal injury lawyer can provide you with more information, and we can discuss the details of your case with you today.

Distracted Driving and Parking Lot Accidents

Distracted driving is the leading cause of serious and deadly collisions in parking lots, according to the NSC. Approximately 66 percent of drivers nationwide admit they make handheld phone calls while driving in parking lots, and more than 50 percent admit to texting, reading or receiving emails, and using social media while driving in parking lots and garage structures. Teen drivers are even more likely than more experienced drivers to engage in distracted driving while traveling at low speeds in parking lots, and the NSC reports that they are also more likely to be eating or grooming while driving in a parking lot or garage structure.

When drivers are distracted — even if they are only traveling at speeds of a few miles per hour — they can cause injuries to vehicle occupants in other cars they hit, and they can cause fatal injuries to pedestrians. Children, in particular, are often involved in severe and deadly pedestrian parking lot collisions involving distracted motorists.

Premises Liability and Parking Lot Injury Risks

In addition to driver negligence in parking lots, serious accidents and injuries can also happen in parking lots and garage structures due to premises liability issues.

If the owner of a parking lot or garage fails to repair a serious defect (such as damaged concrete or a significant pothole) and that defect results in an accident, the owner may be liable. According to the National Safety Council, falls are a leading cause of injury in parking lots due to damaged walking areas or poor lighting. In addition, parking lot and garage owners may be liable for negligent security when a person is assaulted and harmed by a third party in one of these areas.

Contact a Distracted Driving Accident Attorney in Carlsbad Today

Although parking lot accidents and injuries are not nearly as common as other types of collisions that occur on public roads, streets, and freeways in Southern California, these accidents do happen and can result in serious injuries. Often, a distracted driver or another negligent motorist will be liable for the collision. In some cases, at the same time, the accident might have occurred because of a defect in the parking lot or premises, in which case the parking lot owner could be liable. One of our Carlsbad personal injury attorneys can assess your case for you today and discuss your options for filing a claim for compensation. Contact the Walton Law Firm to find out more about how we can assist you.