Were You Injured in a Parking Lot in West Virginia?
Parking lots are part of a business owner’s property. Therefore, the owner of the retail store or other business property has a legal obligation to maintain the lot or ramp, including sidewalks and stairwells in a condition that is determined safe for public use. This includes ensuring the lot is properly marked and lighted, and the traffic flow has been designed with the public’s safety in mind. If you have been injured in a parking lot accident, either while driving, riding a bike or walking, you may be entitled to seek damages for the cost of medical treatment, lost earnings and pain and suffering resulting from your injuries. Talk to one of our dedicated West Virginia parking lot accident lawyers today.
Free Consultation – No Attorneys’ Fees Unless You Win
The insurance litigation attorneys of the Robinette Legal Group have extensive experience as former insurance defense lawyers. We now use our experience to represent plaintiffs in personal injury claims against property owners and their insurers.
West Virginia Parking Lot Accident Lawyers
Contact our offices in Morgantown, West Virginia, to discuss your parking lot injury with one of our lawyers. We offer a free consultation and represent clients in personal injury claims on a contingency basis. If we can’t help you recover money damages for your injury or wrongful death claim, you won’t pay attorneys’ fees.
We have experience representing clients in premises liability claims resulting in parking lot injuries, including:
- Sidewalk and crosswalk pedestrian accidents, bike accidents
- Auto accident injuries, delivery truck injuries
- Snow and ice injuries, falling accidents
- Stairwell injuries
- Injuries from assault, insufficient security
What Are Some Steps You Can Take After a Parking Lot Accident?
There are a number of steps you can take after a parking lot accident to help ensure that your legal rights and best interests are protected. Here are some of the actions you would be well advised to pursue in such circumstances:
- Safeguard yourself. The first step is to make sure you and your passengers are safe. If you or your passenger has been injured, call 911 right away so you or they can get immediate medical attention. If you need to go to the hospital or emergency room, do that immediately. Accept medical treatment that is offered at the scene by emergency personnel.
- File a police report. Even if it’s “only a fender-bender” and even if you believe there has only been minimal damage to your vehicle and that you did not suffer any injuries, call the police and file a report. This is because a number of car accident injuries do not become apparent until several days or even weeks after the collision. If you discover injuries down the road, without a police report, it might just be your word against the other motorists.
- Keep in mind that most police departments will not investigate vehicular injury on private property. Nonetheless, the fact that a call was made will help support your injury claim.
- When you have a formal accident report, you have a narrative of precisely what occurred. The police report is typically available at the police department that responded to the incident, within a few days. When a law enforcement officer does not respond to your accident scene, you should still file a report at the nearest police station or file a report online so you have a record of the incident.
- Gather information at the scene. It’s important that you collect as much information from the scene as possible. This is important because if you decide to file a claim in the coming days you are going to need facts to back up everything you say. If other parties are involved, get the name of the driver (and passengers), the driver’s license number, auto insurance information, contact information, and vehicle license plate number.
- Remain calm. While a parking lot accident may be quite stressful and lead to a tense situation, be calm as you interact with the other parties involved in the crash. Do not get into arguments or yelling matches about what happened or who was at fault. Do not admit fault. Try not to get emotional. Stick to the facts, get the information, and get out of there. If the other person refuses to give you any information or is uncooperative, you can still get other information such as the vehicle license plate number and the make and model of the vehicle. You may even take photos of the vehicle and the driver, since a parking lot is considered a public place. You don’t need that driver’s permission to get photographs. It is well within your rights to do so.
- Find witnesses. Look around to see if anyone else saw the accident. This witness may be someone who works at a store nearby or a shopping cart attendant, or another visitor. Many parking lots also have surveillance cameras, which capture what goes on. Try to get surveillance footage of the incident. This might be particularly helpful if your car was damaged or if you were injured by a hit-and-run driver. If you find witnesses, make sure you get their names and contact information and ask them if they are comfortable with being contacted by you or your insurance company about the incident.
- Contact a personal injury lawyer. If you or your loved one has been injured in a parking lot accident in West Virginia, it is important that you contact an experienced West Virginia car accident lawyer who will fight to protect your rights and hold the at-fault parties liable.
Talk to a West Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer Today
It is important to start collecting evidence as soon as possible after a parking lot accident. Witnesses are confused by the hustle and bustle of cars and customers and often leave the scene without talking to police. In addition, the property owner has every reason to change the evidence at the scene, to protect himself from liability.
Contact our WV parking lot accident attorneys right away to get the answers you need to move forward.
Call us today to find out how we can help you.
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