Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog
As a driver, you may park in an indoor garage often, often without thinking twice about it. You may park in a lot owned by a private company, or your building may have an indoor garage for your apartment or condo. What happens if you are attacked in a garage, get into a collision, or your car is stolen from your parking spot? Flaxman Law Group has worked with plaintiffs who have found themselves in these situations.
Common Parking Garage Injuries and Damages in Westchester
Parking garages are generally something you pay for, whether it’s part of your lease or condo fees or whether you pay cash to park in a large parking garage while you’re running errands. In return, you expect your car to be safe. However, a number of common parking garage injuries and damages can and do occur:
- Assault: Unfortunately, very often parking garages are relatively empty and assaults, sexual assaults, and other crimes do happen because offenders take advantage of the empty spaces and relative lack of people. If possible, look for valet parking and garages with attendants and avoid parking in remote areas. If a parking garage does not have reasonable precautions and security, the owners may be held liable in the event of an assault.
- Theft and break-ins: With so many cars, thieves can be attracted to garages, especially those near malls. In addition to stealing cars themselves, some thieves steal anything inside the car, including purchases, which is why you don’t want to keep anything of value in your car when you park. As with assault, the owners may be held liable is they are lax about security.
- Hit and run crashes: You come back to your parked car and notice part of it is smashed. No one has left a note. This happens more often than you think. If this happens to you, find out if there is a security camera and immediately get the footage. It’s important to get this quickly, since most garages don’t keep tapes for extended periods of time. You’ll also want to file a police report for insurance purposes. Usually, this is an issue which your insurance company can help you with.
- Collisions: While parking garages have speed limits, not all drivers obey them. Parking garages are also built with blind corners and blind spots, because the structures maximize parking space. This can lead to car and pedestrian crashes, as can negligent driving and poor lighting. If you have been injured in a car collision in a parking garage, contact a Westchester parking lot crash claim attorney because there may be multiple liable parties.
- Falls: Entering and exiting a parking garage may require you to climb stairs, use an elevator, and walk some distance. If the property is not maintained or lit correctly, you may have a claim if you are injured getting to and from your car.
It can be difficult to tell whether you have a car accident claim after an incident or injury in a parking lot, which is why Flaxman Law Group offers free, no obligation consultations with a Westchester car accident claims attorney. You can talk to an attorney about your potential claim before you make any decisions. Contact Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) for your free accident consultation with a Westchester parking garage injury claims attorney.