Pedestrian Accidents—Stay Alert in a Parking Lot

Pedestrian accidents involve people who are not in a moving vehicle but may encounter a moving vehicle, such as in a hit and run case, or a car that jumps the curb while a person is waiting at a stop sign. Pedestrian accidents can also occur at a shopping malls, in parking lots, or in your own neighborhood while you’re walking your dog. Let’s take a look at incidents that occur in parking lots.

Many of us have witnessed parking lot accidents, particularly when someone fails to review their rear view mirror, or fails to see an object in a blind spot and hits a person behind that vehicle. And, we’ve all seen a driver in a parking lot speed up to drive into a parking space, possibly hitting a person who his causally walking to the car. What about the child who escapes from mom’s grasp and runs to the car, only to be hit by someone who failed to see that child in the path? Parking lot accidents occur often. Consumers are warned to be careful through the stop signs placed in various part of the lot, or by speed bumps that prevent someone from going to fast. Is there a way you can protect yourself in an otherwise safe and slow moving environment of a parking lot?

When you find yourself in a parking lot of any kind, whether it be in at an apartment complex, an amusement park, or a shopping center, keep these in mind:

• Parking lots are no excuse to not look both ways when crossing the street. Drivers are distracted by all type of situations in the environment: from finding a parking space, to dropping someone off, to having sunlight blind their eyes when cruising past the door. Look both ways and put your head in the mind of the other driver.
• Keep a tight rein on little ones.
• Pay attention if you receive a phone call or text. Walking across the parking lot with your head down does not guarantee that the driver of a car will be paying attention to you.
• Always look behind you multiples times before backing out of a parking spot. Better yet, park so that you have to move your car forward instead of backward to exit the space.

If you have been hit by someone while walking in a parking lot, a pedestrian accident claim will come into play. Enlist the assistance of an attorney and law firm renowned for personal injury accidents.