Parking Lot Accidents in Houston

Whether you are making a special shopping trip or a routine grocery run, it is likely you use a parking lot almost every day. Unfortunately, auto collision attorneys deal with plenty of parking lot accidents in Houston—and the path to recovery can be difficult to walk alone.

One big difference about parking lot accidents is that they happen on private property, not on a public road. Because of this, officers at the scene may be unwilling to create a police report. This can make it difficult to collect supporting evidence for a personal injury claim. For professional guidance, speak with our firm today. It is our goal to ensure you understand your rights and your options to secure a fair settlement.

Common Parking Lot Accidents

With many vehicles crowded together and traveling in parallel paths, a variety of accidents can occur in Houston’s busy parking lots. These include:

• T-bone collisions
• Rear-end accidents
• Front-end accidents
• Distracted driver accidents
• Failure to yield right-of-way
• Road rage or fighting over a parking spot

In addition, since parking lots have a lot of foot traffic from shoppers, pedestrian accidents with catastrophic injuries can also occur.

Always seek medical attention after an accident—even if you feel fine and brush it off as a minor “fender-bender”—as it can take days for some serious signs and symptoms to appear.

Who Pays for a Parking Lot Accident?

Even though parking lots are considered private property, the property owners bear no responsibility for the aftermath. Instead, injured people must pursue compensation through a claim against the at-fault driver’s liability insurance.

Be aware that insurance adjusters may be especially critical of parking lot accident claims and attempt to undervalue them. This is due to the misconception that there are fewer injuries when accidents occur at a lower speed.

Comparative Negligence

It is possible for multiple people to share fault for a car accident. For instance, if a driver is not paying enough attention when they are backing out of a parking space and another driver is speeding down that row in a perpendicular direction, both drivers may share fault for the ensuing accident. Likewise, if a pedestrian is distracted by their cell phone when they are hit in a parking lot, they may also share the blame.

The state of Texas uses a comparative negligence rule. This means the court assigns a percentage of fault to each person involved in an accident. If an injured person is found to be partially at fault, their recoverable damages will be reduced by their share of the blame. For example, if someone suffered $10,000 in damages from a parking lot accident but the court determines they were 20% at fault, they would only be able to receive a maximum of $8,000 in damages.

For more help determining fault in Houston parking lot accidents, reach out to an accident attorney. If you believe you are being unfairly blamed for an accident, we could gather evidence to fight back and support your claims.

Call a Houston Attorney for Help Handling Parking Lot Accidents

Accidents can happen at any time and place. Sadly, it can be impossible to recover the compensation you deserve without an experienced law firm on your side. If you or a loved one have been hurt in parking lot accidents in Houston, contact Schechter, Shaffer & Harris for help.