Las Vegas Parking Lot Accidents Often Result In Serious Injuries
Car accident lawyer explains how the injury claim process works in Nevada
Parking lot accidents might seem out of the ordinary. But these types of accidents happen far more often than people might realize. This is especially true in Las Vegas, where there are many parking lots and people in them all hours of the day and night.
And it’s not just car accidents in parking lots that people need to worry about. Many other types of accidents often occur in parking lots. That’s why it’s important to understand why these accidents happen and what legal options are available to injury victims.
How common are parking lot accidents?
Accidents in parking lots and parking garages account for 20 percent of all car accidents, according to CBS News. While many parking lot accidents are minor fender-benders, some are much more serious. These accidents result in more than 60,000 injuries and 500 deaths on average per year, according to the National Safety Council.
Parking lots can be especially dangerous for children. According to NBC News, an estimated 2,000 children under 14 years old are injured and 99 children are killed in parking lot accidents each year. Those figures are based on accident statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
What are common parking lot accidents?
As explained above, parking lot accidents account for 1 in 5 car accidents. Some common scenarios include:
- Two cars back into each other
- One car backs into a parked vehicle
- One car backs into a moving car
- Two vehicles collide while trying to park in the same parking space
- Car exiting a parking lot crashes into another car on the street
But car accidents are not the only types of accidents that happen in parking lots. Other types of parking lot accidents include:
- Pedestrian accidents – 9 percent of parking lot fatalities involve drivers backing a car out and hitting a pedestrian.
- Slip and fall accidents – Water, oil and other slippery substances or unmarked hazards on the ground can cause serious slip and fall injuries in parking lots, parking garages and stairways in them.
Why do these accidents happen?
The main reason why parking lot accidents happen is distracted driving. Sometimes, drivers simply don’t pay attention while they’re driving in a parking lot. But drivers on their phones – whether it’s texting while driving or making a phone call – often cause parking lot accidents.
“It’s just as dangerous to be distracted in a parking lot going 5 mph as it is going 50 mph,” National Safety Council president Deborah Hersman said in an interview with CBS News. “People have their heads down, they’re on their phones whether they’re behind the wheel or whether they are pedestrians. They’re just a lot of inattention out there.”
Who’s at fault in a parking lot accident?
Determining who’s at fault in a parking lot accident can be complicated. Like most accidents, determining who has the right of way will often decide who was at fault. In general, the driver backing out of a parking spot is often at fault. But there can be situations where the same driver is not at fault.
Determining who caused the crash matters in Nevada. That’s because the state has an at-fault car insurance system. This means the at-fault driver (and by extension the at-fault driver’s insurance company) pays for all the accident-related expenses.
An experienced Las Vegas car accident attorney at Lasso Injury Law can help you every step of the way. We understand how the legal system works in Nevada. That’s because we have been helping injury victims demand the money they deserve for years. We even secured the largest slip and fall accident verdict in history.
Contact us to learn more about how we can help you. Schedule a free consultation with a Las Vegas car accident lawyer focused on winning your case. Make an appointment at our Las Vegas office on West Park Run Drive.
