Arizona Parking Lot Accident Attorneys

 

Mesa Personal Injury Attorneys Discuss How To Handle a Parking Lot Car Accident In Arizona

Our Mesa Injury Attorneys take a look at accidents and injuries within the confines of a parking lot. Parking lot accidents are very common in Mesa and throughout Arizona. In this blog, our experienced accident attorneys discuss how to handle an injury sustained in a parking lot.

Negligence Laws & Parking Lot Accidents In Arizona

Arizona is a comparative negligence state, so damages after an accident will be assigned based on relative fault for the accident. This means after any accident, including those that occur in parking lots, each side will fight to prove the other party was mostly or entirely at fault. You will need to use evidence and expert testimony to show what the total amount of damages are, and how much percentage of responsibility each party has.

In some situations, the owners of the parking lot may actually be held liable for some or all of the damages after an accident occurs. If the parking lot is negligently maintained, or has conflicting traffic signs that cause an accident, the parking lot owners may be pursued as a defendant in the ensuing personal injury claim. This will be analyzed using basic standards of negligence.

A Parking Lot Car Accident In Mesa, AZ

Common Causes Of Parking Lot Accidents in AZ

Every accident is unique in its own way, but most parking lot accidents have similar causes. These include:

  • Loose Shopping Carts

Whether or not someone returns their shopping cart to the corral is said to be a litmus test of their moral character. Shopping carts blocking parking spots or rolling and colliding into vehicles are a common cause of parking lot accidents.

  • Fighting For a Parking Spot

If you’ve ever been to a shopping mall during the holidays, you know there is plenty of potential to get in an accident fighting over a spot. Sudden turns and refusal to yield in order to obtain a good spot can cost you far more in the long run.

  • Ignoring a Stop Sign

Many people treat stop signs in parking lots as more of a suggestion than an order, which can result in an accident. The driver who ignores the stop sign is likely at fault in this situation, but there may be mitigating factors to assign partial blame to the other party.

  • Failure To Yield Right Of Way

Sadly, many people on the road don’t fully understand traffic rules, including right of way with and without a stop sign. A car with no stop sign has right of way over cars that do, and a car going straight typically has right of way over a car that is turning. It’s best to be prepared to brake, even if you have the right of way, when approaching these types of intersections in parking lots.

  • Backing Out Of a Spot Without Checking

If you back out of a spot without properly checking first, you may hit another car or even a pedestrian. It also isn’t unheard of for two cars to do this at the same time and back into each other.

  • Driving The Wrong Way Down a Parking Row

Many parking lots, especially those with diagonal parking spots, have assigned directions to drive. Despite how common they are, many people either ignore or don’t understand these directions, and cause a collision.

Pedestrian Injury Accidents In Parking Lots

Pedestrian accidents are unfortunately common in parking lots, especially at night. The situation can be worsened further if the pedestrian darts in between vehicles without looking both ways. A pedestrian can be injured far more seriously than another driver inside of a vehicle. The extent of the injuries will typically depend on how fast the car was going, but can depend on other factors like the pedestrian’s preexisting conditions, contact with other objects during the collision, and more.

With the high potential damages in a pedestrian parking lot accident, you will need to persistently defend your conduct to reduce your liability. As a pedestrian, evidence you were in a crosswalk or that the driver was speeding or ignoring traffic signs can ensure you aren’t assigned any fault in the accident. For more information about pedestrian injuries in parking lot accidents, call to schedule a free consultation with one of our Arizona personal injury lawyers.

Hit & Run Accidents In Parking Lots

An unfortunate aspect of parking lot accidents is that often, the owner of a vehicle is not actually inside the vehicle at the time of the accident. This gives the responsible driver an opportunity to commit a hit and run by not leaving their insurance information at the scene.

So what happens if you are the victim of a hit and run in a parking lot? Hopefully your auto insurance policy includes comprehensive coverage and MedPay. Comprehensive coverage will pay for damages caused when you weren’t inside your vehicle, but usually requires you to pay a sizable deductible. MedPay covers medical expenses not covered by your health insurance policy. You should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after a parking accident hit and run to see if the perpetrator can be identified, or if any other parties can be held liable for the damages.

Recoverable Damages In An Arizona Parking Lot Accident

Common Damages Resulting From Parking Lot Accidents In Arizona Include:

  • Medical bills
  • Vehicle and other property damage
  • Future medical expenses (for injuries that will require long-term care)
  • Time missed from work
  • Potential missed earnings (for injuries severe enough to hinder career opportunities)
  • Loss of consortium (if your injuries are severe enough to damage your relationship with your partner)
  • Pain and suffering- usually calculated based on the sum of the rest of your injury damages

How Our Mesa Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help

You’ve got enough on your plate after a car accident that you shouldn’t have to work on juggling a lawsuit on top of everything else. For personal injury claims, you only have one chance to sue the defendant- you can’t come back and sue again if latent injuries appear or your expenses are higher than anticipated. Your damages must be calculated accurately, and laid out in a convincing demand letter to the other driver’s insurance company. Unless you accept their usually-low counteroffer, you will then spend months or even years negotiating a settlement value, or proceeding to trial. You will be responsible for every step of this process unless you retain a personal injury attorney.

An experienced Mesa attorney will analyze the evidence and applicable laws in your case to leverage a higher settlement for you. Our Arizona Injury attorneys use their knowledge and expertise to effectively negotiate with insurance companies. Even if your case goes to trial, you are locked in at our guaranteed 25% contingency fee. Compared to our competitors who charge up to 35% or more, you will save thousands. The best part is that you don’t get paid until your case is settled or won. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation to discuss your case with one of our Arizona personal injury lawyers.

 

 

Mesa Injury Lawyer

1731 West Baseline Road Suite #103
Mesa, AZ 85202
Tel: 602-600-6001
Enail: [email protected]
Website: injurylawyersmesa.com