‘Tis the Season for Parking Lot Accidents — Here’s How You Can Stay Safe

As you’ve probably noticed, it’s the time of year when parking lots at malls and other local shopping centers are filling up with impatient – and sometimes irresponsible – drivers. Some are seeking the spots closest to the entrance… while others sometimes wildly race to beat other shoppers to get the final parking spot that isn’t already taken. And some, frankly, are overwhelmed by holiday stress and irrationally lash out in acts of road rage.

In the mad dash to park our cars and rush into the stores, safety sometimes gets thrown out the window, resulting in fender-benders or even severe injuries to innocent pedestrians who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. (Check out this national news story describing major increases in pedestrian deaths over the past few years and you’ll see what we mean!)

This substantial increase in pedestrian fatalities is puzzling, especially with all the additional safety features being incorporated into today’s cars, trucks, and SUVS. Such devices as backup cameras, rear crossing alerts, and automatic braking systems are all designed to help drivers avoid getting into trouble while parking their vehicles, and to keep pedestrians safer as well. So why aren’t they working? Maybe something else could be to blame.

Negligent property owners might be contributing to parking lot accidents

In case you haven’t noticed, winter in Michigan tends to involve something fondly called snow (and sometimes less fondly black ice, freezing rain, sleet, hail, or just plain slippery surfaces at the entrances to businesses). When temperatures fall and ice forms, it’s incumbent upon property owners to provide safe surroundings for shoppers, but sometimes they fail to do so. Inadequate snow removal, melting ice runoff re-freezing at store entrances, unrepaired parking lot potholes, or other such hazards are the responsibility of property owners to address. But when property owners neglect to safeguard visitors, they leave themselves liable for legal action. This is particularly true since the Michigan Supreme Court recently issued new guidance for determining the outcome of premises liability personal injury cases, making it far more likely for victims of slip-and-fall accidents to successfully win damages in circumstances where property owners are proven to be negligent. (Which is why you’ll want to engage an experienced premises liability law team if you’re ever hurt in this type of situation!)

Of course, we’re not saying that all personal injury incidents in parking lots involve negligence on the part of property owners. Irresponsible drivers can be equally responsible for hurting innocent pedestrians or passengers in other vehicles. In such cases, besides having the best personal injury lawyers on your side you’ll also want to have the right no-fault insurance in place to protect yourself and your family from unexpected – and sometimes excessive – medical costs.

No-fault insurance coverage can also come into play in parking lot collisions

Most accidents that take place in parking lots happen at low speed, which fortunately means that injuries tend to be minor for people who are protected inside their vehicles. However, there are always exceptions to the rule, especially when pedestrians are involved. In recent months, there have been quite a few deadly parking lot incidents across Michigan, including the death of a mother and injury to her infant daughter when they were hit by an “impaired” driver in a Holly Township parking lot; critical injuries to a motorcyclist who ran into a vehicle in a Walmart parking lot in Allegan County; and an 18-year-old who died when the car in which he was sitting was flipped when hit by a drunk driver doing “doughnuts” in a Battle Creek parking lot.

In cases such as these, the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits included in your no-fault car insurance policy can help pay for some medical bills, even if you’re injured as a pedestrian. However, unless you’ve selected unlimited PIP benefits, you might find you have insufficient coverage since lost wages, medical charges, and rehabilitation costs in cases where victims suffer severe injuries can amount to significant dollars. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that the average medical expenses faced by accident victims add up to around $15,000 each… but severe cases, like those involving traumatic brain or spinal injuries, can require lifetime care totaling millions of dollars. So don’t be short-sighted when choosing your PIP benefits or you might live to regret that decision.

File a police report when you’ve been involved in any accident.Then make one more crucial call.

You might have heard that local police departments can be reluctant to respond to incidents that occur in private parking lots. That can be true, but it depends upon the specific policies of the department serving the jurisdiction where the accident takes place. So, if you’ve been hurt in any crash – whether it happens on a public street or in a grocery store parking lot – we always recommend contacting law enforcement to report what happened. If police officers cannot (or won’t) come to the scene in person, you can still file a report on your own at the local police station, as one of our savvy clients did a few years ago. By making that police report, she was ultimately successful winning her case with the help of one of our dedicated personal injury attorneys.

And that’s why we suggest you never wait before getting Mike Morse Law Firm involved in your personal injury case. By calling 855-MIKE-WINS (855-645-3946) immediately, you help us help you, since we can quickly begin to assemble vital evidence to support your claims, which can sometimes include obtaining video footage showing exactly what happened, gathering statements from eyewitnesses, and gaining insights from expert witnesses who can describe exactly what led to your injuries and who’s responsible for your losses. So don’t hesitate or debate whether your injuries deserve our attention. They do! Call us and we’ll be there for you.