Parking lots can be as dangerous as the city streets primarily because drivers and pedestrians let their guard down. Drivers can get distracted which can be dangerous to pedestrians. Across the country, there are more than 50,000 parking lot crashes each year with 500 deaths and 50,000 injuries, and unfortunately, Louisville gets its share.
At Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, we’ve seen all types of parking lot injuries, and we know how to get the injured victim the compensation they deserve. We feel strongly that when a driver parks their car and becomes a pedestrian in a parking lot, they should be able to enter the store without injury because someone was speeding or not paying attention.
Types of Parking Lot Crashes
Most parking lot crashes happen because the driver was not paying attention and didn’t see the pedestrian or the driver was speeding and unable to stop in time. In both of these scenarios, the driver is likely to be held negligent and will have to pay for the victim’s injuries.
Winter Parking Lot Accidents
In Kentucky, winter brings its own problems with snow, ice, and slush. Parking lot accidents become all that more likely when there is compacted snow or frozen slush and ice. This makes walking difficult and presents problems for drivers as well.
The owner of the store is required to keep the lot reasonably safe from hazards including those caused by weather.
Common Parking Lot Injuries
At Kaufman and Stigger, PLLC., we’ve seen the devastation that a parking lot crash can bring on the victim and their family. Parking lot injuries have a larger than usual number of elderly victims which means that even a low impact collision can do considerable damage.
Because of the unprotected status of a parking lot pedestrian, a collision with a 3,500 lb car means that the victim is really hit twice. Once with the car and the other with the pavement. This can cause significant damage and injuries, and some of the more common of these are:
- Traumatic Brain Injury: The victim’s head might impact with the vehicle and then the pavements causing serious injury
- Road Rash: Sometimes the victim is thrown to the ground and exposed skin can become severely injured, much like a burn.
- Broken/Displaced Ribs: The ribs are often at the right height for an impact from the car. This can easily fracture and displace a rib.
- Broken Wrists/Elbows: In a parking lot crash, the victim often holds out their hand to brace their fall, and this causes wrists and elbows to be broken.
Who has the Right-of-Way?
In Kentucky, the law favors the pedestrian no matter where it is. In parking lots, the driver of a motor vehicle is to use the proper due care considering the surroundings, and there are commonly pedestrians in parking lots.
This means that if the driver didn’t act in a way that allowed the pedestrian to proceed in safety, then the driver could be considered negligent. The “lanes” between the rows of parking spaces are to be used by car and pedestrian, and the driver of a car in a parking lot can’t be looking at their phone or going too fast for the circumstances.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney Today
Accident victims often wonder if they need an attorney, and the answer is almost always yes. The insurance company agents have years of experience and are good at their job which is to pay you as little as possible or nothing at all. You need someone just as experienced to help you level the field.
Talk to a Louisville Personal Injury Attorney you can trust to be on your side and get you what is yours under the law. The attorneys at Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, have that knowledge and a combined 100 years’ experience in helping clients get the results they deserve. To discuss your case, call Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC today, at (800) 937-8443 or click here to contact them online.
