Who is Liable if I am Injured in a Parking Lot?As a general rule, the owner or operator of a parking lot is liable for injuries to people on or about their parking lot that were caused by the owner's negligence. The lot owner has a duty to keep the lot reasonably safe. He fails at his duty if he creates, or allows to exist, a harm where injuries could be anticipated. For example, the owner would be liable for not repairing a large crack in the pavement that causes someone to slip and fall. The owner must be negligent in some way. For example, he knew about the danger, but did not fix it, or he never inspected his lot frequently enough to know of the danger.
What Limits on Liability are There?The negligence of the parking lot owner must cause the injury and not be from some other unforeseen event. Also, the lot is only responsible for unreasonable risks. That means that the owner does not have to repair every crack or imperfection in the floor because the risk of injury from them is minimal. Just because there is a dangerous condition in the parking lot does not make the owner liable. If the condition is so obvious that everyone should know to avoid it, then there is no liability.
What About Crimes in the Parking Lot That Cause Injuries?In general, a parking lot has no duty to protect its customers from completely random crimes, such as assault or robbery, which may occur there. However, the lot owner may have to take reasonable steps to protect people if it is foreseeable, based on the circumstances, that a crime could occur there.. Also, the lot owner may have a duty to protect the cars of customers from crimes.
Should I Contact a Lawyer About my Parking Lot Injury?If you have been hurt or injured during a visit to a parking lot and want to assess the viability of your claim, the advice of a personal injury lawyer can be extremely helpful. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you investigate your injury and recover damages. |
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