Car accidents take place every single day on roads all across America, but did you know that parking lots are actually just as dangerous? Parking lots are often bustling with pedestrians and cars backing out and pulling in at an extremely high volume, especially during the busy holiday season. Because of this, they are ripe for the unexpected to take place, such as a fender bender. In most cases, parking lot accidents aren’t very serious and result in more cosmetic damage to vehicles than anything else. However, this is not always the case. Other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians can sustain serious injuries – or even death – as the result of a parking lot accident. With this in mind, it is imperative you understand your rights and contact a personal injury lawyer immediately following an accident in a McKinney parking lot. These types of cases can be relatively difficult to prove, which is why it is important that you have a good lawyer by your side.
Whether you are going to the grocery store, out the movies, the park, a shopping mall, or anywhere with a parking lot, for that matter, the last thing on your mind is the potential for an accident to take place. While it may not be on your mind, chances are everyone is in a hurry and trying to get to their next errand as quickly as possible, which makes the chance of an accident taking place quite high. Although the majority of parking lot accidents are low speed collisions, this doesn’t mean you should take them any less seriously. We encourage you to contact the police and your insurance company – then a lawyer – if you have been involved in a parking lot accident. Our McKinney personal injury lawyers will be able to advise you on how to proceed and help you prove fault in a parking lot accident.
Let’s now look at some of the first steps that should be taken following a parking lot accident:
- Move the cars out of the way and to a safe location
- If your car will not move, turn the emergency flashers on and exit the car, if it is safe to do so
- If there are any injuries, call for medical assistance
- Call the police, even if there are no serious injuries or damages
- If you are in a parking lot with security, notify them of what happened
- Contact your insurance company
- Exchange information with any other drivers or pedestrians involved
- Make sure you get their names, addresses, phone numbers, and insurance information
- Talk to any witnesses and get the same information from them
- Make note of the various businesses in the parking lot
- This may come in handy, should the case go to court
- Make note of any important facts surrounding your accident, such as the time, date, location, weather conditions, and parking lot conditions
To learn more about your rights following a parking lot accident, please contact Wormington & Bollinger today. Our McKinney personal injury lawyers are here to answer any questions you may have.