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Boston Parking Lot Accident Attorney
If you have been in a parking lot accident, you may need to contact a parking lot accident attorney at Michael Kelly Injury Lawyers.
Parking Lot Accidents Can Be Fatal
Although parking lot accidents generally result in property damage only, there are many occasions where injuries and even death can occur. Backing up a vehicle without caution or proper lookout can result in some of the most serious injuries involving parking lot accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 221 people lose their lives and about 18,000 people are injured in back-over crashes in the United States in off-road locations such as parking lots a year.
Distractions Frequently Lead to Parking Lot Accidents
Most non-residential or commercial parking lots do not have traffic signals, stop signs, or clear pedestrian crosswalks to guard against injury. Combine lack of regulation with distracted drivers and pedestrians and the result can be an accident.
Often times, a person backs up while putting on their seat-belt or adjusting their radio. Clearly, the driver’s focus is not always on operating their motor vehicle. Add this to a pedestrian listening to headphones or carrying grocery bags and you have a possibly dangerous situation. In the event the motor vehicle in this example contacts the pedestrian, the result can be disastrous.
What Should You Do If You’re in a Parking Lot Accident?
Essentially, parking lot accidents are no different from accidents that occur on the road. Damage may initially seem minor, however, there is always the possibility of someone getting injured.
For our readers’ convenience, we have listed a number of checklist items below that should be followed in the event you, or someone you know, are ever involved in a parking lot accident.
1. Call the Police
Explaining your side of the story to a police officer can go a long way toward establishing liability. In addition to the opportunity to speak to an officer, he or she will also likely create a police report, which can be used to support the fact that the accident was not your fault.
2. Exchange Insurance Information
Do your best to copy down the license plate number, make, model, and color of the car that struck you or your vehicle. If possible, also try to get the name, number, address, and insurance information from the driver of the at-fault vehicle. Obtaining this information will make it easier to establish an active claim and tie in all possibly responsible parties.
3. Record Witness Contact Information
Try and speak to anyone that may have witnessed your accident. Many times, individuals involved in an accident wait for potential witnesses to come to them. We recommend that once the commotion of the accident has died down, our clients actively seek out potential witnesses to the course of events. An unbiased observer of your accident can be invaluable in establishing liability and ultimately having you compensated for your loss.
4. Don’t Admit Fault
Don’t ever admit fault at the scene of the accident. We have represented a large collection of clients that have been so shaken by an accident that they inherently take the blame. Although we are most regularly able to overcome these knee jerk statements, it makes the claim process more difficult.
5. Seek Medical Attention, If Necessary
In the event you have any pain or discomfort following your accident, seek prompt medical attention. In addition to the obvious benefits of treatment for your pain, it is also important to document your injuries. Don’t be afraid to complain to medical personnel about any areas of your body affected. We often encourage our clients to make use of a numerical pain scale to properly document that degree of pain being experienced.
6. Take Pictures of Your Injuries
Always take pictures of any bruising, scrapes, cuts, or swelling that is present on your body. In the event you are given a cast, brace, or crutches, take pictures. In the event you are given stitches or a sling, take pictures. Capturing the status of your injuries as they happen and as they heal can increase the value of your case significantly.
7. Contact a Parking Lot Accident Attorney
Seeking the help of an excellent parking lot attorney gives an injured party the best chance of recovering maximum compensation for their claim. There are hundreds of things to think about when navigating through the claim process and an attorney can help maintain the health and strength of your claim.
Contact Our Parking Lot Accident Attorney Now!
If you, or a loved one, has been injured in a Boston parking lot accident, we can help. Call us for a free and realistic valuation of your car accident claim. Our parking lot accident attorney would be more than happy to travel to a location convenient for you to perform this service. We look forward to hearing from you.
