The words “parking lot accident” may evoke images of a simple dented fender or scratched paint job, but you might be surprised to learn that many serious and even fatal injuries occur each year in parking lots, including in parking lot accidents in Kansas City. These incidents often leave victims wondering if they need a Kansas City car accident lawyer to navigate the aftermath. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), hundreds of fatalities and thousands of injuries occur in parking garages and parking lot accidents nationwide each year. Although parking lot accidents increase during the holidays, the risks drivers and pedestrians face in parking lots impact safety year-round.
What Makes Parking Lot Accidents So Common?
You might think the slower speed required when driving in a parking lot would minimize the risk of accidents, but surprisingly, the common conditions most parking lots share present significant dangers. Common factors contributing to Kansas City parking lot accidents include the following:
- Pedestrians and vehicles are in close proximity
- Reversing in parking lots is more common than anywhere else
- Drivers are often distracted
- Pedestrians may be distracted
- Some parking lots have confusing designs
- Parking lots and parking garages may have inadequate lighting
- Parking lot designs allow many cars to move in close proximity
- Some parking lots have inadequate signage
- Exits and entrances may be confusing
- Parking lots have many obstructions, including curbs, wheel stops (parking bumpers), and shopping carts
Some parking lots also have inadequate maintenance problems that contribute to a higher risk of accidents.
What to Do After a Parking Lot Accident In Kansas City
If you have had a minor fender bender in a Kansas City parking lot, with less than $500 in property damage and no injuries, you don’t have to call the police to the scene as long as both drivers agree. However, you do have to exchange contact and insurance information and notify your insurance company. If the property damage is more than $500 and/or you or a loved one has suffered an injury, it’s essential to take the proper steps to handle your parking lot accident in a way that protects your physical safety and financial future. After an accident, use a cell phone to do the following:
- First, call 911 to report the accident and injuries, and apply any reasonable first aid
- Then, use the phone’s camera to photograph the damaged vehicles
- Photograph anything relevant to the accident, such as signs, painted traffic direction signals, and any visible injuries
- Add the contact information of the other driver or anyone involved
- Add the contact information of any eyewitnesses
Always go directly to a hospital after suffering injuries in any traffic accident. This not only ensures that you receive the emergency medical treatment that you need, but also helps to document evidence that your injuries occurred in the parking lot accident. Ask for a thorough medical examination to identify any injuries with delayed symptom presentation. Finally, notify your insurance company.
How Can a Kansas City Car Accident Lawyer Help?
If you have substantial injuries from a parking lot accident, hire a car accident lawyer before speaking to the at-fault party’s insurance company. Call the Kansas City personal injury attorneys at Miller & Hine so we can represent your best interests throughout your claim. If a loved one died in a parking lot accident, our wrongful death attorneys can help you recover wrongful death benefits and a sense of justice for your grief and anguish.