Parking lot car accidents happen much more often this time of year! With the malls being packed with Christmas shoppers and drivers racing to get to the next open space, collisions (and tempers) are bound to rise.
If you are involved in one of these parking lot accidents, be expected to be blamed (at least partially) for the crash. To protect yourself from apportionment of fault, here are a few things to do:
- Immediately upon impact, check to see if the person who hit you was on their cell phone or looking away.
- Leave your car exactly where it was when you were hit and get out and take pictures. Pay particular attention to taking pictures of how your car was positioned at the time of impact. If you were almost out of your parking spot when another car hit you, that helps limit your responsibility.
- Take picture of where the other car was at the time it hit you. If they moved the vehicle after impact, take pictures of where the car was at impact.
- Get witnesses' name and contact information. Most parking lot accidents end up being a "he said-she said" type of scenario because no one obtained witness information. This is very important if you were not at fault.
In most parking lot accidents, the driver's head is turned looking towards the back or sides of the vehicle. This head positioning can result in different types of injuries then if you were looking forward. It is important that you tell your doctor how your head was positioned at the time of the crash.
There are a few things you can do to avoid being involved in a parking lot accident. Here are a few:
- Parking far away from other vehicles, if possible
- Using a turn signal when making a turn in a parking lot or parking space
- Paying extra attention when pulling into and backing out of parking spots
- Driving slowly through parking lots
- Being careful when entering and exiting a parking lanes (a vehicle near the end of the lane could be pulling out)
Injuries do occur in parking lot accidents. If your family member or friend is injured in a parking lot accident, you should talk with an attorney before talking with the insurance companies. Remember, insurance companies have lawyers looking out for their best interest after your accident, so should you! Click here to schedule a free case consultation with Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes.