Parking Lot Accidents in Los Angeles
Whether you are in a small lot outside a neighborhood store or a massive garage attached to a major mall, parking can be a stressful experience, no matter how much time you have spent behind the wheel. Unfortunately, a big reason for that stress is the fact that you cannot always trust other drivers in parking lots to act responsibly around you, especially if you are a pedestrian trying to navigate your way into a store or get back to your parked vehicle after a shopping trip.
Parking lot accidents in Los Angeles can serve as grounds for civil litigation if they stem directly from someone else’s reckless or careless conduct. If you want the best possible chance of getting the best possible case result, you should strongly consider contacting and retaining our car crash attorneys as soon as possible after your crash occurs.
Are Parking Lot Owners Liable for Traffic Collisions?
For the most part, civil liability for parking lot wrecks in Los Angeles works the same way as it does for all other types of traffic accidents. Every driver has an implicit duty of care requiring them to act lawfully and reasonably behind the wheel, and anyone who causes a crash through a specific breach of that duty—which can be an overtly illegal traffic offense or just a momentary lapse in concentration—can be held financially accountable for losses they cause another person to suffer through their negligence.
Generally speaking, parking lot owners are not liable in this way for the misconduct of people using their lots since those owners only have a duty to provide reasonably safe premises for all lawful visitors. It may be possible to sue a parking lot owner or manager over a car crash if that crash stemmed in part from a flaw in the lot itself—for example, a lack of painted traffic lines or signage telling drivers how to navigate the lot safely.
Getting Paid Fairly for Short-Term and Long-Term Losses
Regardless of who specifically holds legal liability for a Los Angeles parking lot collision, an ensuing lawsuit or settlement demand over that accident can incorporate both economic and non-economic forms of harm stemming directly from the accident and the injuries it has caused. This can include but is not strictly limited to things like:
- Medical bills
- Car repair or replacement costs and other expenses related to personal property damage
- Lost work income, benefits, and future working ability
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Psychological trauma and distress
- Lost overall quality of life
Guidance from knowledgeable legal counsel can be especially important during this stage of the legal process, as it is often necessary to estimate the value of future losses and demand compensation for them long before they fully manifest.
Talk to a Los Angeles Attorney About a Possible Parking Lot Accident Claim
Traffic accidents inside parking lots may not happen at particularly high speeds most of the time, but they can still cause serious injuries with long-lasting repercussions. If you have been hurt in this sort of crash recently, you may have a right to demand civil restitution from the person responsible for causing or allowing that crash to happen.
That said, your chances of getting a favorable case result may be very slim if you try to understand and enforce your rights alone. Call today to learn what our auto accident lawyers could do to help you in the wake of a parking lot accident in Los Angeles.
