Parking lot crashes are not always minor accidents

Although parking lots may not seem like a dangerous place to drive your vehicle, if you really think about it, you probably all can remember a time where you were almost struck by a vehicle backing out of a parking spot! When these types of accidents occur, they too can lead to serious injuries. Often an individual’s injuries result in the need for extensive medical care and having to take time off of work to recover. In some instances, even with a car traveling at a slow rate of speed, such incidents can result in death.

There are some things that motorists can do to try to avoid a parking lot collision with either another car or a pedestrian:

• Don’t rely on your vehicle’s reverse camera. There can be people or other cars in the area that won’t display on the monitor before it is too late.
• If you have a smaller vehicle, avoid parking next to vehicles like pickups, vans or SUVs. It is difficult to see around these tall cars while backing up.
• If you can’t avoid parking next to a larger vehicle, try pulling into a parking spot so that you can exit the space driving forward, instead of in reverse, and, if all else fails, bite the bullet and choose a spot further out in the lot, where not as many vehicles park.
• If you return to find your car surrounded by larger vehicles and cannot see what is behind you, take the time to get out of your vehicle to see if anyone is walking near the back of your car before you reverse out of the parking spot. When you do back up, do so very slowly.

Remember that even though parking areas may not seem dangerous due to the lower speed of the vehicles, they can still cause injuries and fatalities to pedestrians. If you or a loved one has been injured in a parking lot accident, it is important to seek medical attention right away and then consult a personal injury attorney to discuss what options are available to you.