By design, parking lots outside of retail establishments and multi-unit residential properties contain many moving motor vehicles in close proximity to many unprotected pedestrians. Unfortunately, this means that collisions between cars and walkers are far from uncommon—and as you may have learned from experience, such an incident can cause life-altering or even life-threatening injuries.
Anyone injured in pedestrian accidents in Columbia parking lots may have grounds for legal action. If you sustained injuries in such an accident, our team at Whetstone Perkins & Fulda could help you pursue compensation. Throughout your legal proceedings, your dedicated pedestrian injury attorney is prepared to work tirelessly to protect your best interests through private settlement talks, pre-trial procedures, and—if necessary—a trial in front of a civil judge or jury.
Are Drivers Always at Fault for Pedestrian Collisions in Parking Lots?
Whether they are traveling on a major highway, along a local street, or through a cramped parking lot, motor vehicle drivers always have a duty of care to act lawfully and responsibly behind the wheel. A breach of this duty—such as a moving violation, driving while intoxicated or distracted, or simple inattention while pulling out of a parking space—can serve as the basis for a civil lawsuit built around the concept of negligence, provided that the breach is the main and direct cause of an otherwise preventable injury to someone else.
Similarly, pedestrians have a duty to look out for nearby vehicles, use pedestrian infrastructure like marked crosswalks and sidewalks where available, and refrain from stepping out in front of oncoming traffic. A court or insurance company may assign a percentage of comparative fault to a pedestrian if they are found to have contributed to causing their own Columbia parking lot accident and injury. This, in turn, could reduce the total amount of compensation available to them.
Seeking Compensation for Short-Term and Long-Term Harm
A qualified attorney could help you contest allegations of comparative fault as described above. They could also assist you with identifying and demanding a fair amount of money for every compensable loss you incur as a result of the negligence of the driver who hit you. Recoverable damages in a typical parking lot pedestrian accident claim in Columbia can include, but are not strictly limited to:
- Medical bills, including expected costs of long-term rehabilitative and disability management care
- Lost wages and working capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses, including those related to repairing or replacing damaged personal property
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and distress
- Lost enjoyment and diminished quality of life
The value of your specific claim will depend on what injuries you have sustained, what effects they have already had on you, and what harm you can reasonably expect those injuries to cause you in the future.
Speak With a Columbia Attorney About Your Parking Lot Pedestrian Accident
Although vehicles in parking lots often move more slowly than they would on a major public highway, that does not mean they cannot cause serious injuries if they end up striking a pedestrian. In fact, pedestrian accidents in Columbia parking lots can be even more dangerous than accidents elsewhere, as experienced personal injury attorneys know all too well.
Fortunately, our attorneys from Whetstone Perkins & Fulda could help you understand your legal rights and fight on your behalf to ensure you get fair restitution for your injuries. Contact us today to learn more.
