Legal Options After a Parking Lot or Parking Garage Crash
Car accidents can happen anywhere, sometimes leaving victims with serious injuries or lasting trauma. In most instances, car accidents are caused by one or more drivers but when an accident happens in a parking lot or parking garage, a property owner may be liable.
If you’ve been involved in a parking lot or parking garage accident, it’s important to understand your legal options. At the Tawwater Law Firm, our attorneys represent victims of car accidents throughout Oklahoma City, OK, and can help you in your time of need.
What Causes Parking Lot and Parking Garage Accidents?
There are many things to be aware of when driving in parking lots, such as pedestrians, vehicles pulling out of parking spots, and distracted drivers looking for a space to park. As a result, parking lot and parking garage accidents happen all the time in Oklahoma City.
Some causes of parking lot and parking garage accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Backing up without properly checking for hazards
- Speeding through parking lots or garages
- Bad lighting
- Poorly marked parking spaces
- Confusing or lacking signage
- Poorly maintained lot or garage
Legal Options Depend on Who Is Liable
Those who have been injured in a parking lot accident can recover compensation for their injuries by taking the liable party to court.
Determining liability depends on who was legally responsible for the accident. While it may seem that the other liability party would be another driver, sometimes that’s not the case in a parking lot or parking garage.
Parties who may be liable include:
- Negligent driver: Another driver may be responsible for a parking lot or parking garage accident if they were distracted and not paying attention while driving, were speeding through the lot or garage, or acted negligent in some other way. When another driver is considered negligent, a personal injury lawsuit may be appropriate for recovering compensation.
- Negligent Property Owner: Sometimes an accident in a parking lot or parking garage is the fault of a negligent property owner and not another driver. A property owner may be liable for an accident in their parking lot or parking garage if they failed to maintain the property, post clear signs, or failed in other ways to provide a reasonably safe environment. In such cases, a premises liability lawsuit may be filed to recover compensation.
Recovering Compensation
Whether another driver is believed liable or a property owner, the negligent party may be sued to recover compensation for damages, including medical expenses, property damage, and pain and suffering.
When seeking damages through a lawsuit, an attorney can help build a strong case to support claims of liability by gathering evidence like medical records, eye witness accounts, and photos of the accident.
Contact the Tawwater Law Firm
If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident, it’s important to have an attorney on your side. The Oklahoma City attorneys of the Tawwater Law Firm can review your case to help you determine which legal option is right for you. Contact our law firm to schedule a consultation.