Parking Lot Accidents
Determining who is at fault for an accident is very much so subjective but it can have a lasting impact on that individual. If a person is at fault for an accident, it can impact their driving record, their insurance premiums, and even their credit report. In this blog post, I’m going to go through how adjusters determine who was at fault in a parking lot accident.
Determining Fault in Parking Lot Accident Cases
Parking lot accidents are some of the most common and misunderstood accident types. The most common type of parking lot accident is when two drivers are attempting to back out of a parking space, and they end up colliding with one another. In this type of accident, an insurance adjuster or a police officer at the accident scene will look at several details to determine fault and assign liability. With this accident, the adjuster will look to see where the damages are located on each car to see who established control of the roadway on the parking lot. This is because whoever was in the roadway of the parking lot first likely had the right of way to travel and was not at fault for the accident. To figure out who had the right of way, it is important to analyze the damage on all the vehicles. When the damage to a vehicle is on the front or its back bumper, it is likely that the driver had not completely established control of the roadway. On the other hand, when the damage to a vehicle is found on either side of the vehicle, then it is evidence that the driver had completely pulled out of their parking space and established control of the roadway. For example, let’s say that car A and car B are both backing out of their parking spaces at the same exact time. If both vehicles collide in the middle of the roadway at the same time, the damage will be found mostly on each car’s rear bumper. In this scenario, both drivers will be at fault and the liability will be split evenly between the two drivers. In another scenario, let’s say that one driver has pulled their vehicle all the way out of its parking space and was about to drive off when another vehicle backs right into the car causing damage to the side of the vehicle. The driver of the second car would likely be 100% at fault for the accident. This is because that car had established a right of way in the roadway and the damage to the vehicles is evidence of that. Any car entering a parking should make sure that the roadway is clear before entering it.
Contact our Accident Lawyer in Miami Today!
Car accidents are a huge issue for drivers in South Florida. If you or a loved one has been injured in a parking lot accident in South Florida due to another driver’s negligence, the car accident attorneys at Suarez & Montero are here to help you get the compensation you rightly deserve. The Law Offices of Suarez & Montero Car Accident Attorneys is a personal injury law firm with locations in Miami and Broward. Personal injury law is constantly changing; thus, it is important to pick a lawyer who is up to date with these changes and specializes in handling personal injury cases only. Many attorneys specialize in other practice areas such as bankruptcy or criminal law and handle personal injury cases on the side. Unlike other firms that handle cases in other areas of law in addition to their personal injury section, our firm is 100% dedicated to helping victims in personal injury cases and has been doing so for over 19 years. If you or someone you love has been involved in an accident, contact us today for a free consultation.
We serve clients throughout Florida including those in the following areas:
Miami-Dade: Aventura, Coral Gables, Doral, Fontainebleau, Hialeah, Homestead, Kendall, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, North Miami, Tamiami, and Westchester.
Broward: Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, and Weston; and Palm Beach County including Boca Raton, Lake Worth, and West Palm Beach.
