Yes, you can sue if a car hits you while walking in a parking lot, but it depends on how your accident occurred and who is responsible for the accident.
Parking lot accidents are more common than you likely realize. If you or someone you care about was involved in a pedestrian accident recently, we encourage you to call S. Burke Law for a consultation. Our consultations are always free, so there is no commitment. Call us at 404-842-7838.
Damages Parking Lot Victims Can Collect
Pedestrian accidents in parking lots can result in severe, if not catastrophic injuries. These injuries range from bruises and scrapes to paralysis and even death.
Many of these injuries leave victims wondering how they will make ends meet while they recover. If another party was at fault for your parking lot collision, you can recover damages from that party. While no two pedestrian parking lot accidents are identical, there are a handful of damages you can expect S. Burke Law to seek on your behalf if we work with you. Recoverable damages include the following:
- Medical expenses: Medical expenses encompass everything from ambulance trips, overnight stays at the hospital, medication, therapy sessions, and more. You are also entitled to compensation for long-term medical expenses like in-home care and wheelchairs.
- Lost wages: Pedestrian parking lot injuries can result in serious injuries, and many victims miss a lot of time at work. Lost wage damages encompass time missed at work for various reasons. Whether your injuries left you unable to work, or you missed time because you had specialist or therapy appointments, S. Burke Law seeks these damages on your behalf.
- Lost earning capacity: In more severe cases, your injuries may require you to stop working or change careers. S. Burke Law seeks lost earning potential damages in those cases as well.
- Pain and suffering: You can also recover compensation for any physical or emotional pain and suffering you endured.
How Negligence Causes Pedestrian Parking Lot Accidents
Most of us consider parking lots relatively safe places. But the accidents occurring in parking lots can be severe. Pedestrian parking lot accidents occur for a variety of reasons, but often result from one or more negligent actions:
- Distracted driving: Distracted driving represents a significant portion of pedestrian parking lot accidents. Drivers often use parking lots as an opportunity to fiddle with the radio, send text messages, take calls, and more.
- Pushing the wrong pedal: Pushing the gas and brake pedals are so intuitive drivers do it without thinking. But, occasionally, drivers hit the gas instead of the brake and cause a serious accident.
- Speeding: Most parking lots do not have posted speed limits. Occasionally, drivers consider this an opportunity to zip around the lot looking for a space.
- Focusing on looking for a parking space: Pedestrian parking lot accidents occur frequently in full or nearly full parking lots. The reason is many drivers often focus more on finding a parking space than their surroundings, which often includes pedestrians.
- Drivers not checking before backing out: Pulling out of spaces frequently causes car accidents. Many drivers do not look closely before pulling out of their spaces.
Recovering Compensation If You Contributed to the Accident
Fault in a pedestrian accident is rarely cut-and-dried. If you contributed to the accident, you may still be eligible to recover compensation. However, it is important to note that you must be less at-fault than the other party, per Georgia’s comparative negligence laws.
For example, say you were walking through a parking lot when a vehicle quickly backed out of a parking space and hit you. An investigation found the driver 75 percent at-fault. You were 25 percent at-fault because you were listening to music with your headphones.
The driver would be responsible for 75 percent of your damages (e.g., if you requested $10,000, he would owe you $7,500).
Call an Atlanta Pedestrian Parking Lot Accident Attorney
Every accident comes with its own set of concerns. Parking lot accidents amplify these concerns. Taking a direct hit from a vehicle while in your own car causes serious enough injuries. Being hit by a car, even at low speeds, while walking is that much more catastrophic and has a potential for even worse injuries.
If injured in an Atlanta pedestrian car accident, we encourage you to call S. Burke Law. Our team prides itself on representing Atlanta residents. Call us now at 404-842-7838. Our consultations are always free.