Baltimore Parking Lot Accident Attorneys

Every year, thousands of people are involved in parking lot accidents. Although most parking lot accidents are relatively minor, they may still result in serious neck or back injuries. They may also be frustrating to deal with because the other driver blames you for the accident. In the most serious parking lot accidents, a pedestrian or small child steps behind a car, leading to serious injuries or even death.

Causes of Parking Lot Accidents

Some of the most common parking lot accidents involve two cars backing out at the same time, and hitting each other. Each driver may look behind them, see no cars coming down the parking lane and decide that it is safe to back out. However, another driver thinking the same thing across the parking lane may back out at the same time. It only takes a second before the two cars back into each other. While the accident may have come as a surprise to both drivers, they may also both have to share the fault for the accident. In this type of accident, each driver may have to use their own insurance policy to cover their repairs and damages.

During weekends and busy shopping holidays, drivers may be fighting for a parking space. This can increase the likelihood of an accident. Drivers who do not yield the right of way, or drivers speeding through a parking lot can easily cause an accident. When parking spaces are scarce, two drivers from opposite directions may think that they deserve the same parking space. They may both try and pull in at the same time, leading to a minor accident. In this case, liability may fall on one driver, or both drivers, depending on the situation.

Another common cause of parking lot accidents involves shoppers or other pedestrians walking behind cars that are trying to back out. The driver must be very careful when backing out, making sure no pedestrians or other cars are coming down the parking lane. However, in some cases, a child may run through the parking lot giving the driver no chance to stop before they hit someone. Even at low speeds, hitting a pedestrian in a parking lot could lead to serious head or neck injuries.

Many parking lot accidents involve hitting a parked, unattended car. Some drivers may look to see if there was any damage. If they don’t see any serious damage, they may just drive away. However, driving away after hitting an unattended vehicle may be a criminal violation. Even if it seems like no one was watching, there may be a witness who will later call the police to report the hit and run. After a minor accident with an unattended car, a driver should leave contact information. A minor bump in a parking lot is not worth the police showing up at your door.

Parking Lot Accident Injuries

Even though parking lot accidents usually occur at very low speeds, they can still result in physical injury. Drivers may think that their low speed accident involved nothing more than a scratch or a minor dent. In some cases, they may even decide to let it go without getting the insurance company involved. However, the next day the driver realize they have dizziness and a sore neck. They may not even realize it was connected to the accident. At that point, it may be too late to file a claim against the other driver if contact information wasn’t exchanged after the accident.

After suffering any injury in a car accident, you should consider getting medical treatment. Minor injuries that go untreated can go on to become more serious. If you were involved in a parking lot accident, the insurance company may cover your medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage. If the insurance company tries to get away with only paying you a portion of your damages, you may want to talk to an experienced personal injury attorney who will fight for you.

The insurance company may try and get away with paying out as little money as possible. They may offer you a small settlement as long as you sign away your rights to seek damages in a lawsuit. Talk to your attorney before you agree to accept a settlement to make sure it is fair, and fully compensates you for your injuries. If the offer isn’t fair, your attorney may file a lawsuit to compel the insurance company to give you the compensation you deserve.

Baltimore Parking Lot Accident Injury Attorneys

If you or a loved one has been injured in a parking lot accident, the law firm of Gilman & Bedigian may be able to help. It takes time to recover from a parking lot neck or back injury, and you should not have to deal with the stress of fighting with the insurance company. This is why you should talk to a lawyer about taking on your case so you can focus on recovery. Our attorneys have years of experience dealing with automobile accident cases throughout Maryland. We will fight for your rights to make sure you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.