If there is anything good to be said about any type of motor vehicle accident, it’s that most occur at relatively low speeds and pose limited dangers. That is indeed true in most cases, but it fails to negate the very serious consequences that can result from even low-speed collisions.
Parking lots still pose many hazards to drivers and pedestrians that can leave them with temporary or even permanent damage. Learn more below.
Victims may be unbuckled
This, of course, is true for pedestrians all the time, but even the occupants of cars in parking lots may have already unbuckled (or not-yet-buckled) their seat belts. The resulting unexpected jolt can cause back, neck and neurological injuries and misalignments.
Kids dart out unprotected
It’s a parent’s nightmare — trying to wrangle the kids, the full shopping cart, your purse and keys in a busy shopping center parking lot. Sometimes, a wily child can wrench out of their parent’s grasp and go whirling out into the traffic lanes.
Terrible injuries (and worse) can result from a child being hit by a car in a parking lot. They may suffer life-long disabilities and require 24-hour medical care for the rest of their lives.
Drivers are preoccupied
When you are jockeying for space in a crowded Walmart parking lot, chances are high that you are already creating a mental list of the items you need to locate within the store. You might be doing mental budgeting for the trip. Either way, drivers may not be fully focused on the situation at hand: Safely parking the car.
If you were injured in a collision in a parking lot, you may want to learn more about your rights and responsibilities under the law.