Long Island Parking Lot Accident Lawyer

On Long Island, there are many areas where there are all kinds of parking lots, whether they are in malls, shopping centers, outside concert venues, movie theaters, et cetera. Parking lots, of course, differ from parking along the street or in a residential area. These areas can sometimes become congested, and lead to an accident.

If you have been involved in an accident due to another’s negligence, it is imperative to consult with a knowledgeable car accident attorney as soon as possible. An experienced Long Island parking lot accident lawyer can gather the elements of the claim and help produce a successful result on your behalf.

Examples of Parking Lot Accidents

The kinds of accidents that generally occur in parking lots are pedestrian accidents. These occur when people walk in the parking lot and are hit by a vehicle driving, or when an individual backs out of a spot and is unaware a pedestrian is walking behind them.

People walking in the parking lot always have the right of way. Therefore, drivers have to be mindful of that in a parking lot when they are driving. If an individual has been injured, they should not hesitate before consulting with an experienced Long Island parking lot accident attorney.

Slower Speed Limits

If a person is in a parking lot, the person must drive slow, and look all over the place while driving to keep aware of their surroundings. In a parking lot, there is a lot of walking going on, there are a lot of people moving around at any one time, and there are many other cars. A slower speed limit will result in fewer accidents and certainly less serious accidents.

Parking Lot vs. Road Accidents

Parking lots are divided into two ownership categories. They are either going to be privately owned or publicly owned. There are both Municipal parking lots and private parking lots.

In terms of a response, the police go to the area where the accident occurs in the parking lot, and make out a report like any other accident. There is an exchange of information between drivers or between a pedestrian and the driver, and photographs are taken. It is similar as with any other car accident case. A parking lot accident attorney on Long Island can help an individual properly navigate their claim.

Role of Insurance Companies

Insurance companies always want to blame the person bringing the claim. They are either going to look to diminish their own insurance liability by saying that the other person, if it is a pedestrian, was not watching where they were going, was running, or was busy on their phone and was not paying attention to what should have been seen.

This is typically what an insurance company would say in a parking lot accident. If there are two vehicles involved, they are going to say the same thing that the plaintiff’s attorney might say. They may claim that it was the client who was not being careful backing out of the spot, it was the client who was going too fast, or it was the client who was going the wrong way in a parking lot.

These are typical responses by an insurance company. To best understand the nuances associated with such a case, it is important to hire an experienced parking lot accident lawyer in Long Island immediately.

Contributory Negligence

Contributory negligence may become a factor when an individual is not watching where they are walking in a parking lot. A person must remember that in a parking lot there are a lot of cars moving around, and an individual must be mindful of where they are walking more than they would in other locations.

Unlike in a private residential area where a person might be walking on a sidewalk, the person is walking on the road where cars are moving. This poses much more of a danger. A Long Island attorney should make sure that the client was not on a cell phone, carrying any bags, or with any children or another person, because that may all divert their attention and contribute to a parking lot incident. All of these would involve the accused victim’s negligence for not paying attention.

How an Accident Attorney Could Help

A parking lot injury case differs from other accidents in a couple of respects. There are different rules that common sense dictates in a parking lot as opposed to anywhere else. Whether that is driving slow or being more mindful, a person needs to be careful, and the person would want to make sure they have a lawyer that has dealt with parking lot cases before. Also, the owner of the parking lot would be responsible in some way for creating some negligence which caused the accident.

For example, the design of the parking lot might make it accident prone. If there are not enough ways to get in and out of the parking lot, if there are not enough barriers between the parking area and where a person might be going into a store or something like that, it could make a difference.

Many cases occur when a driver inadvertently steps on the brake and goes right into a store. Parking lot owners had been held responsible for not having enough protections between the parking lot and where people are walking to get to the parking lot.

A person also wants a Long Island parking lot accident attorney who has handled cases against owners and operators of parking lots because they have sometimes been held responsible. Lighting at night could also make a difference. If there is insufficient lighting, then that could contribute to an accident. Further, if the roads are not properly kept within the parking lot, that can contribute to an accident. These are all the responsibilities of the owner of the parking lot whether it is a municipality or it is a private owner.

Call a Long Island Parking Lot Accident Attorney

While vehicles are rarely moving fast in a parking lot, you may be surprised at the amount of harm these types of collisions can cause. When you want to bring a claim against another driver to recover your financial losses, call a Long Island parking lot accident lawyer at Goldstein & Bashner.