Pedestrian accidents in parking lots are more common than you think. So in order to stay safe when walking to and from your vehicle in a parking lot, it is highly advised to stay alert at all times and avoid using your smartphone (we have all done that in parking lots, admit it) until you have exited the parking lot or got into your vehicle (but before you actually start driving).
Typically, when someone tells you about a pedestrian accident, you immediately imagine a car colliding with a person crossing the street or intersection. However, pedestrian accidents that occur when a person is walking through a parking lot are no less common in Los Angeles and all across California.
You do not necessarily have to cross a street or intersection to get injured as a pedestrian
I know what you are thinking. “Wait, so does it mean that I do not even have to be a pedestrian to be hurt in a pedestrian accident?” That’s right! Even if you go everywhere by car and never cross streets and intersections in the role of a pedestrian, you could still be injured in a pedestrian accident when walking through a parking lot to or from your car.
“Exercising caution and knowing what to do in the event of a pedestrian accident in a parking lot is very important because this type of accident is on the rise in California,” says our Los Angeles pedestrian accident attorney at Law Offices of Howard Kornberg.
How do pedestrian parking lot accidents occur?
Statistics show that each year, nearly 50,000 pedestrian accidents occur in parking lots across the United States. Even though all car drivers realize that there are always people walking in parking lots (or at least we certainly hope they do realize it), many motorists still fail to exercise a high standard of care and, instead, act negligently.
“How do pedestrian accidents in parking lots occur?” you may be wondering. Well, there are many causes of this type of accident, but the vast majority of them occur due to one or a combination of the following factors:
- Reckless driving;
- Distracted driving;
- Drunk driving;
- Loss of control of a vehicle;
- Poor visibility in a parking lot;
- Poor road conditions in a parking lot; and
- Pedestrians run out in front of the vehicle, making it impossible for the driver to react and avoid a collision.
As you can see, there are plenty of causes of pedestrian parking lot accidents, and more often than not, victims require the legal help of an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer in Los Angeles or elsewhere in California to determine fault and sue the liable party for damages.
Distracted driving and pedestrian accidents in parking lots
Distracted driving is by far the leading cause of pedestrian accidents in parking lots. When a motorist is not paying enough attention to what’s happening in front of his or her vehicle, even a low-speed collision with a pedestrian can lead to serious injury or even death.
Some of the most common causes of distracted driving in pedestrian parking lot accidents include but are not limited to:
- Programming a GPS system or typing in the address of your destination (many drivers do it while driving in order to save time);
- Typing in or reading a text message (“I am not driving on the road yet, so nothing bad will happen if I check this text while driving through a parking lot,” many drivers think);
- Browsing social media while driving through a parking lot (we get it, your best friend’s breakup announcement is very touching and heartbreaking, but you should definitely put away your phone and focus on the road while driving).
Let our Los Angeles pedestrian accident attorney consult you about your particular situation. Schedule a free consultation by contacting the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg. Call 310-997-0904 today.
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