Parking lots seem like innocuous spaces where you conveniently leave your vehicle as you go about your day. But your carefree day can quickly become a legal ordeal when you end up in a slip-and-fall accident.
Parking with caution
Parking lot owners must maintain a duty of care to anyone using their facilities. Slip-and-fall accidents usually occur if they do not proactively take preventive measures against potential hazards. It may cause minor injuries, but it could also lead to death. The World Health Organization reports that falls are the second primary cause of unintentional injury fatalities worldwide. Here are common risks you need to watch out for the next time you park:
- Winter or rainy conditions: Slippery surfaces covered with ice, snow or rain
- Inadequate lighting: Poorly lit parking spaces that do not cast enough light on damaged potholes, pavements or flooring
- Distracting movements: The rush of people and vehicles moving simultaneously in different directions
- Walkway obstacles: Shopping carts, debris, oil or liquid spills and garbage
- Lack of warning signages: Restricted areas under construction or renovation
The moments right after the accident are critical in ensuring that your health and legal rights are intact. Aside from seeking immediate medical attention, you must also document and gather as much information as you can to provide sufficient context about your claim later on. If your carelessness or clumsiness somehow contributed to the accident, it could affect your pursuit of compensation for damages. Comparative negligence states like California reduce the value of monetary damages they award to slip-and-fall victims like you if proven that you are partly at fault.
Extra care wouldn’t hurt
Severe brain, bone or spinal cord injuries are possible if property owners do not conscientiously look out for your safety. Before you agree to a settlement offer from any insurance company, ensure you are well-guided by a legal representative who will not settle for anything less than what you rightfully deserve.