Parking lot accidents in Homestead and across Florida do cause serious injury, even though they usually do not involve high speeds. Even slowed down to slip into a parking spot, multiple directions of traffic, close quarters, and a combination of pedestrian, car, and truck traffic can all spell danger for drivers.
Parking lot accidents lead to many types of injuries, including crushing injuries, head trauma, back injury, soft tissue injury, whiplash, and other injuries. You especially want to be careful in these zones of the parking lot:
- Near parking spaces. Do you have your eye on a parking spot? Pause a moment, because you can easily crash into another vehicle when you are trying to get a prime spot. With both vehicles moving into the same spot, the impact of the collision can be greater than you think.
- Stop signs. Stop signs and speed bumps are used in parking lots to help control traffic and speed. Unfortunately, some drivers still drive too fast in parking lots, putting everyone at risk. When approaching a stop sign in a parking lot, come to a full top and scan the area. Even if you have the right of way, make sure the way is clear before you continue.
- Entrances and exits. In some parking lots, especially, there may be drivers driving in quickly. Parking lots in hospitals and vet clinics, for example, can see high-stress situations where drivers may not be at their best. In some parking lots, the signs for entrances and exits may not be clearly marked while in other spaces cars can be entering and leaving in the same area, creating the possibility of head-on collisions. Always use extra caution when entering and leaving a parking lot, especially when merging with oncoming traffic. Yield right of way and expect the unexpected.
- Lanes. Drivers trying to find a parking spot may not notice you if you are trying to pull out of a parking spot, so always scan the area and remember that the drivers not in parking spots have the right of way. Check blind spots, too, to make sure there aren’t obstacles in the way.
- In front of stores. In front of stores and entrances is another at-risk area in parking lots. Pedestrians may be leaving or entering the area or walking back to their cars. You need to stay alert. In shopping areas, shoppers may leave carts in unexpected spots, including in areas which block parking spots or your way.
- Behind stores. Some drivers try to drive around behind a parking area to where trucks and deliveries are made. This is a dangerous spot because truck drivers may not notice a much smaller vehicle and may not expect to see a smaller passenger vehicle in this space.
If you are injured in a parking lot accident, contact Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) for a free accident consultation with a Homestead parking lot accident attorney. The attorneys at our offices in Miami, Hollywood, and Homestead have more than 60 years of combined experience and represent plaintiffs across all of Southern Florida.