When many people think of car accidents, they think of T-bone collisions in intersections, rear-end wrecks at stoplights, or high-speed collisions on interstates. What might not come to mind is a fender-bender in a crowded parking lot outside a store or shopping center. In reality, the lattermost type of crash happens more often than you might expect in Arizona, and it can sometimes serve as grounds for civil litigation just like the other types you may have thought of first.
Even if you have standing to file suit over one, a parking lot accident in Mesa can make for a deceptively complex civil claim, especially if you try to pursue it alone. Working closely with a skilled car accident attorney from Phillips Law Group can do a lot to boost your chances of proving someone else legally at fault for your injuries and recovering comprehensively for every form of harm their misconduct could lead to you experiencing.
Common Causes of Parking Lot Crashes and Injuries
Everyone who drives a motor vehicle on public Arizona roads takes on the same “duty of care” requiring them to obey traffic laws, keep an eye out for nearby vehicles and pedestrians, and generally act responsibly behind the wheel at all times. That “duty” applies just as much to people driving inside parking lots in Mesa as it does to people driving on any other paved public surface, so anyone who causes a collision inside a parking lot by “breaching” their duty of care may be civilly liable for ensuing losses.
Depending on the circumstances, a “breach of duty” in this context could be anything from an overtly illegal act like speeding or drunk driving to a more innocuous lapse in concentration at exactly the wrong moment. Either way, the “severity” of another person’s negligence does not factor into whether they could be held liable for backing into someone, sideswiping them, or causing any other kind of wreck in a parking lot, as long as their breach of duty was the main and direct cause of that crash.
What Damages Could Be Recoverable for a Parking Lot Wreck?
If a parking lot accident in Mesa results only in minor property damage and no injuries, the car insurance policies held by each involved party will likely be enough to cover all resulting losses, and there may not be a need to file a lawsuit over the incident.
However, if this kind of wreck results in an injury severe enough to require professional medical care, the person at fault for that wreck may be held liable through a lawsuit or settlement demand for both economic and non-economic consequences of that injury, including:
- Personal property damage
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma and distress
- Short-term and long-term medical bills
- Lost work income, benefits, and/or long-term earning capacity
- Lost quality of life and other effects of permanent disability/disfigurement, if applicable
It should be emphasized that it is not possible to recover twice for the same losses. For example, if insurance covers all vehicle repair bills stemming from a parking lot collision, a civil claim could not seek compensation for those same bills again.
Rely on Our Mesa Attorneys for Help After a Parking Lot Accident
Even though they tend to happen at relatively low speeds, parking lot accidents in Mesa can still cause serious injuries, especially if they involve pedestrians being hit by motor vehicles. Fortunately, you have a right to demand civil compensation after an incident like this from any person you can prove directly at fault for injuring you through their own misconduct.
Assistance is available from start to finish of the legal process from a capable and compassionate auto accident lawyer. Call Phillips Law Group today to discuss your options with a trusted member of our local team during a free, no-obligation consultation. Having served the Arizona community for more than 30 years, the Phillips Law Group team is ready to advocate on your behalf and get you the justice you deserve.
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