Whether you’re going to work, heading downtown for dinner, or going to a mall, you may need to park your vehicle in a parking garage. While these can be incredibly beneficial to ensuring you have an easily accessible location to leave your car while protecting it from weather, the last thing you may expect is to sustain an injury while in the parking garage. Unfortunately, these matters can be incredibly difficult to navigate, which is why it’s important to understand how these injuries happen and how a Contra Costa County injury lawyer can help you through these overwhelming and complex legal matters to fight for the compensation you deserve.
How Do Parking Garage Injuries Happen?
Unfortunately, there are a number of ways in which someone can sustain injuries while in a parking garage. Generally, one of the most common accidents involves vehicles. If you are in a parking garage and another driver is going too fast, fails to stop reversing out of a spot, or is distracted, you can suffer serious injuries as a result of this negligence. In some instances, you may be struck by a vehicle while walking through a parking lot, which can be incredibly damaging and traumatic.
You may also suffer injuries if the parking garage itself is inherently unsafe. This most commonly manifests in slips and falls, which can occur due to hazards on the ground or poor lighting. Additionally, dimly lit and unsecured parking garages are often the scenes of assaults, as a criminal may lie in wait to attack you as you are walking to your vehicle. This assault can result in injuries like soft tissue damage, broken bones, PTSD, and lacerations, among others.
Who Can Face Liability for the Damages I’ve Suffered?
In general, you’ll find that the party directly responsible for your injuries can face responsibility for the damages endured. For example, if you slip and fall over a hazard in the parking lot, the property owner can be held liable. A distracted driver, on the other hand, who collides with you, would face liability.
However, in some instances, multiple parties can face responsibility. For example, if there is a lack of signage indicating where a stop should be in the parking lot, and a speeding car collides with you as a result, both parties can face liability. The parking lot owner would be liable due to the unsafe conditions caused by the lack of signage, while a speeding driver would face liability because they violated the posted speed limits in the lot.
As you can see, navigating liability after an accident in a California parking garage can be difficult. That is why it is in your best interest to connect with an experienced attorney with O’Connor Law APC. Our dedicated legal team will do everything in our power to help you fight to recover the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to learn how we can represent you during these difficult times.
