Beware! Parking Lot Accidents in the Nation’s Capital

Cars, semi-trucks, vans, motorcyclists, and mass-transit busses; employees, tourists, shoppers or emergency personnel — what do all of these things have in common? Parking lots.

Whenever motorists go anywhere, they depend on parking lots to safely park their vehicles in an orderly manner. But, these seemingly innocuous looking lots are dangerous hotspots for car accidents.

In fact, about one-in-five traffic accidents happen in parking lots. Although parking lot crashes are not normally fatal, the damage that these collisions cause can range from minor to rather serious.

Facts To Know About Parking Lot Accidents

• Most parking lot accidents are the result of moving cars hitting parked cars.
• Some angry or impatient drivers argue or battle over parking spots. This can lead to road rage, physical altercations, and various kinds of car crashes. Speeding drivers racing to get to an open parking space can be distracted, not seeing what other drivers in the lot are doing, or may not see pedestrians.
• Driving diagonally across parking lots is a very dangerous practice that causes too many unnecessary car accidents. Drivers aren’t always able to see or predict how others will drive under these circumstances.
• Driver vs. pedestrian accidents are very common. Motorists don’t always see children darting through lots. Pedestrians walking between parked cars can easily be struck by moving vehicles.
• Depending on the circumstances, soft tissue injuries like whiplash or spinal cord injuries, airbag deployment-related injuries, or even broken bones can result from parking lot crashes

Having an experienced attorney to represent you can be very important following a parking lot car crash. Proving fault can be difficult in many cases, often caused by a “he said, she said” battle of words. At Lewis & Tompkins, we have been successfully representing car accident victims throughout Virginia, Maryland and the D.C. metro area for several decades, and we are here to answer your questions concerning your parking lot accident. Call us today at 202-296-0666 to schedule a free case review.