Fayetteville Parking Lot Accident Lawyer
Collisions that occur between vehicles in Fayetteville’s parking lots and garages are surprisingly common. These accidents also include collisions between vehicles and pedestrians. These accidents often occur because drivers do not take their obligations to drive safely as seriously as they should and become distracted while looking for a parking spot.
Even so, drivers in parking lots have the same requirement to not cause any undue harm to others as they do while driving on streets and roads. This means that if you have suffered an injury while in a parking lot or garage that you have the ability to demand compensation for your losses.
A Fayetteville parking lot accident lawyer may be able to help you to pursue your claim. Attorneys could help to provide more information about drivers’ obligations in parking lots and how an accident may have been the result of a failure to follow these obligations. Using this information, an attorney could help to demand fair payments for your losses.
The Duties of Drivers in Parking Lots
Most drivers understand that they have an obligation to drive in a safe manner that follows the rules of the road when on Fayetteville’s streets. However, some motorists do not realize that these obligations extend into parking lots and garages.
The simple fact is that there is an obligation for all motorists to drive safely on any route that the general public has access to. As a result, a driver who operates their vehicles in a careless manner in a parking lot is just as liable for an accident that causes an injury as a driver who is at fault in a collision on a street. A Fayetteville parking lot accident lawyer could help to provide more information about the general duty to protect others that exists in parking lots and garages.
The Concept of Contributory Negligence
Although all drivers have a duty to not cause harm to others while in a parking lot, this does not automatically mean that a driver who is involved in an accident is negligent. Injured plaintiffs must prove that a defendant’s actions violated this duty and caused their injuries.
Unfortunately, this is a very high standard in Fayetteville and throughout the state. Courts in the state use the concept called contributory negligence in personal injury cases centered on accidents. In short, this means that a defendant is only liable for a plaintiff’s injuries if that plaintiff did not contribute in any way to the incident.
For instance, defendants may argue that they were speeding, but the victim contributed to the incident by moving out from between two parked cars. If this argument is successful, a plaintiff cannot collect any compensation for their losses. A Fayetteville parking lot accident lawyer could help to prove that a defendant carries full responsibility for the incident.
A Fayetteville Parking Lot Accident Lawyer Could Help Following an Injury
The long-lasting impact of an accident that occurs in a Fayetteville parking lot cannot be overstated. Whether this involves a collision between two cars or is an incident involving a car hitting a pedestrian, you have the right to demand compensation for all your losses. This could include payments for medical bills, reimbursement for lost wages, and payments for mental anguish.
However, obtaining this compensation is rarely easy. Defendants may argue that your own actions contributed to the incident and, therefore, that you are not entitled to any payments. They may also try to delay the case to run out the statute of limitations. According to North Carolina Statute §1-52, you have only three years from the date of the accident to demand payment. Contact a Fayetteville parking lot accident lawyer today to schedule an appointment.