Atlanta Parking Lot Accidents Lawyer

Parking lot accidents are surprisingly common throughout the country.  According to a 2014 study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during the period from 2008 to 2011, 91,000 people were injured and 1,621 people were killed in non-traffic motor vehicle accidents on an annual basis.

A significant percentage of injuries and fatalities affected non-occupants, such as pedestrians and cyclists.  It’s worth noting that non-traffic car accidents include crashes occurring on private roads and in parking lots in Atlanta and elsewhere throughout Georgia.

In the parking lot context, there are a number of ways in which injury liability may apply — and several potentially liable defendants.  Parking lots are complex transportation ecosystems.  If you have been injured in a parking lot, you may have legitimate claims against a variety of defendants, each of whom may be at least partially responsible for the injuries at issue.

Premises Liability

Those who own, operate, possess, and otherwise maintain parking lot facilities may be held liable under Georgia law for failing to maintain the facilities in a reasonably safe condition for visitors. Premises liability claims can be a bit confusing for those who are unfamiliar with such litigation.

In essence, a property owner may be held liable for heightened risks of injury (non-obvious) to which they expose visitors. For example, suppose that you are a pedestrian and are injured by a car making a sharp turn into a parking lot.  The driver may be partially at fault for your injuries, for failing to make a stop before colliding with you.

On the other hand, if the driver’s visibility was obscured due to some dangerous condition of the property — perhaps overgrown tree branches in the parking lot — then you could potentially sue and recover damages from the property owner for failing to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition, and thereby contributing to your injuries.

Driver Liability

Atlanta drivers must exercise reasonable care when operating their vehicles through parking lot facilities.

The standard of care in parking lots is heightened in comparison to other driving contexts, as there is a higher likelihood of pedestrian and cyclist presence, and sightlines tend to be more heavily obscured due to the space-saving measures typically implemented in parking lot facilities.  Drivers often cause injuries in parking lots by:

• Failing to reduce and otherwise adjust their speed
• Driving in a distracted manner
• Failing to use their mirrors to check their sightlines

Contact Ponton Law Today

If you have been injured in a parking lot accident — whether you are a pedestrian, cyclist, driver, or passenger — then Georgia law may provide you legal means with which to sue and recover damages as compensation for your injuries.

Parking lot accident claims may seem somewhat basic at first glance, but often involve multiple defendants (each with unique liabilities).  It’s therefore vital to the success of your claims that you work with an attorney who is experienced in handling parking lot accident lawsuits. James Ponton is a parking lot accident lawyer who has nearly a decade of personal injury experience representing injured clients in motor vehicle accident litigation, including cases that involve parking lot accident claims.

Before his work as a litigator on behalf of injured plaintiffs, Attorney Ponton worked as an insurance defense attorney.  As such, he is well-equipped to overcome the strategies typically employed by defense counsel. Call (404) 902-3154 today to set up a free consultation with an Atlanta parking lot accident lawyer here at Ponton Law.