Who is at fault in a parking lot accident?

Parking lots are common places for car accidents. These accidents are often low-speed events but can still cause serious damage. The first step in getting victims compensated for their losses is determining who caused the accident. A car accident attorney in murfreesboro tn from Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers knows how to do this job and fight to win justice. 

Common causes of parking lot accidents

Right-of-way violations are not the only cause of parking lot accidents. According to the

National Safety Council (NSC), 66% of drivers admit to these behaviors while driving through parking lots:

• Making phone calls
• Sending texts
• Using social media
• Sending emails
• Taking photos 
• Watching videos

These distractions make accidents more likely between drivers and between vehicles and pedestrians. Pedestrians have the additional risk of slipping and falling in a parking lot, often because of poor pavement conditions, inadequate lighting, or debris left strewn about the lot. Slips and falls can cause serious injury, and if that is how you have been hurt, our slip-and-fall lawyers can help.

Take steps to determine who is at fault in a parking lot accident

Knowing what to do after your accident can help with this task. Safety comes first, so if you cannot move without causing further injury, stay still until help arrives. 

Follow these recommendations:

• Take pictures of the entire scene, capturing the position of the vehicles involved, the condition of the pavement, lines outlining parking spaces or road markings indicating travel directions, and stop signs or other traffic controls. 
• Take photos of your injuries and any damage to your car or other involved vehicles. 
• Note the locations of security cameras. 
• Exchange contact information with the parties involved in the crash and get contact details from witnesses. 
• Call law enforcement to the scene to make an official report and obtain the responding officer’s name and badge number. 
• Get medical attention even if you don’t think your injuries are severe. 

Sometimes, the effects of injuries take a few hours or a day to appear, including those for some very serious injuries. Prompt attention also protects your potential claim by preventing the other side from minimizing your injuries or arguing you increased the damage by putting off care.

Holding the at-fault party accountable for compensation

Your attorney will calculate a fair settlement demand by adding up your economic losses and putting a value on your non-economic losses. 

Medical costs, property damage, income loss, and any other financial costs incurred by the accident are part of your economic losses. The pain, suffering, and quality of life reductions you experience are your non-economic losses. Your attorney will compile evidence to support your settlement demand and send that demand to the at-fault party’s representative.

The other side may agree to pay the amount but may counter with a lower offer, and negotiations between the at-fault party’s representatives and your attorney will continue until both sides reach an agreement. If the other side refuses to agree to a fair amount, you may take the case to court, and your attorney will advocate for you aggressively at all proceedings.

How a Nashville car accident lawyer can help

Once you enter a legal partnership with our team, we will review any information you have collected and thoroughly investigate the accident. The specific circumstances of the incident can clarify who is at fault. For example:

• Drivers backing out of parking spaces have to yield to oncoming drivers.
• Drivers moving through the lot’s through lanes have the right of way over those leaving parking spots.
• All drivers must follow stop signs or yield signs placed in the lot.
• Drivers should not follow too closely when traveling behind another vehicle in the through lanes.
• Drivers turning left into a parking space must yield to oncoming drivers moving in the through lane.
• Drivers backing out of spots must yield to another driver backing out of the opposite lane if that driver started backing out first.

The team at Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers will speak to witnesses, access available camera footage, and consult with experts who can offer valuable analysis about how the accident occurred. We will not leave any sources of information unexplored.

We are ready to help

We are ready to identify the negligent party in your parking lot accident and hold them accountable for paying you the damages you deserve. Send a message or call (615) 220-4180 for a free case consultation from Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers. We are here to help.