St. Charles Parking Lot Car Accident Lawyer
Driving in a parking lot may seem like one of the safest places to be behind the wheel. After all, people ought to be moving slowly when trying to find a place to park or to pick up a friend or family member. Still, parking lots and garages remain a leading location for injuries that result from car accidents. These can affect people driving in their own vehicles and pedestrians who are attempting to enter a store, business, or apartment.
If you suffered an injury because of the negligence of another party, you have the right to demand compensation for their losses. A St. Charles parking lot car accident lawyer could help when those losses are the result of the poor decisions of others that take place in parking facilities. Speak with a skilled personal injury attorney today to learn more.
Are any Traffic Laws Applicable to Parking Lots in St. Charles?
While some parking lots and garages are publicly owned, most are owned by private businesses. This leads some drivers to not think that the rules of the road apply to them while driving in these spaces.
Fortunately for injured plaintiffs, this could not be further from the truth. The law states that drivers must take all appropriate caution to care for the safety of other people when on a public way. The law defines a way as any place that a car can travel that is kept open to the public or authorized users. As a result, drivers have the same responsibility to take appropriate caution in parking lots and garages as those that travel on roads or streets. They must follow all speed limits, yield when required, and refrain from becoming distracted.
It follows that a driver who is at-fault for a collision that occurs in a parking lot carries liability for any resulting damages. Even so, an injured plaintiff still must prove that the incident was the fault of the defendant. A parking lot auto accident attorney could provide more information about the duties of drivers in parking lots and garages in St. Charles.
How Might an Injured Plaintiff Demonstrate Defendant Negligence?
To gain a favorable outcome, victims must prove negligence according to the state laws concerning comparative negligence. This means that courts will evaluate the actions of all parties in an accident and assign blame accordingly. If a court believes that a plaintiff shares a proportion of the blame for the incident, that court will reduce the plaintiff’s award. In examples where a plaintiff walks out abruptly from in between two parked cars, or where a driver did not yield when required, this can lead to severely limited compensation packages.
Let a St. Charles Parking Lot Car Accident Attorney Fight for the Case
Parking lot collisions tend to occur at low speeds. Still, any accident can lead to serious injuries that can affect your physical health, your emotional wellbeing, and your ability to earn a living. If another party is at-fault for a collision that resulted in these losses, they have the obligation to provide full compensation.
Sadly, obtaining this compensation can be difficult. A defendant may argue that your own actions contributed to the incident or that your injuries are not as serious as you claim. Unrepresented plaintiffs may find themselves bullied by insurance companies or may fail to file a claim within five years as required Missouri law.
A St. Charles parking lot car accident lawyer may be able to help. They can work tirelessly to gather evidence that points to a defendant as being the only person responsible for your losses. They can also help to measure those losses to demand appropriate payments in settlement talks and court. Schedule a consultation today to begin discussing your options.