Your Trusted Personal Injury Lawyers in Waterford, CT
When you think of a parking lot accident, you might immediately assume it is a minor fender bender that will be legally straightforward. Unfortunately, these kinds of accidents are relatively common and not always simple to handle.
Parking lot accidents in Waterford can be complicated by questions of liability and fault, leaving those involved with lots of questions and frustration. A car collision attorney can help establish fault, determine liability, and negotiate with insurance companies to get you the compensation you need to make repairs or pay medical bills.
Parking lots are often privately owned, and signage and lane divisions can be inconsistent. Additionally, parking lots are often in areas of high foot traffic with tight turns, leaving drivers to navigate pedestrians, other cars, and blind spots.
To make things more complicated, statewide traffic laws are not always applied the same way in parking lots as public roadways. While a police officer will likely respond to a call about a Waterford parking lot accident, their findings may be used in a civil liability claim rather than a traffic citation or criminal action.
Most parking lot accident cases are dictated by negligence, which is determined by whether one or more drivers failed to act with reasonable care.
With the tight spaces, frequency of drivers coming and going, and high likelihood of pedestrians, there are many kinds of common parking lot collisions in Waterford.
Imagine a scenario where both drivers have checked for clearance and back out simultaneously. Determining who was at fault for the resulting crash can be complicated. Dashcam footage and eyewitness statements will be key to determining who was backing up first. Without a clear determination, the drivers may be assigned equal fault.
By their nature and purpose, parking lots will have many pedestrians. When these pedestrians are struck in walkways or crosswalks, they can be seriously injured even at low speeds.
Typically, the driver who is moving in the throughlane has the right of way, which means that a driver exiting the lot (often by backing up) will be found at fault in a resulting crash. However, if the throughlane driver was driving recklessly (speeding, swerving, etc.) or distracted, the situation may be more complex.
When it comes to determining liability, each case is different and impacted by the specific factors. These factors include visibility, lane markings, signage, speed, and attention. Eyewitness statements, police reports, dashcam footage, and surveillance cameras may all be used to help investigate these factors thoroughly.
Connecticut General Statutes § 52-572 establishes a comparative negligence legal framework. A driver must be found more than 50% at fault for the other party involved to be able to seek compensation for damages. Many insurance companies will try to dismiss parking lot crashes in Waterford as a no-fault accident where each party is equally responsible. However, a closer look at the facts and circumstances may challenge this assumption.
Those who have been injured in parking lot accidents in Waterford may wonder if it is worth it to get a lawyer involved. When there are significant damages, including high vehicle repair costs or medical impacts like whiplash or broken bones, it can be very helpful to contact a lawyer who can push for a deeper investigation and establish fault.
If you are facing medical or repair bills after a parking lot accident, call today to let us evaluate your case.
We are committed to provide personalized attention to each and every client’s case – no matter how large or small– because that is each client’s only case. We are proud of our firm’s reputation of combining integrity and compassion with an unflinching dedication to getting the right result. We will do what we say.
