Parking lots and parking garages are locations where slip and fall or trip and fall accidents occur frequently, posing risks to pedestrians and vehicle occupants alike. These accidents can result in serious injuries and sometimes, even death. It is important to understand that if you have been injured in a slip and fall or trip and fall accident in a parking lot or parking garage that occurred due to lack of proper maintenance or some other type of negligence (carelessness), you may be able to receive compensation for your injuries, damages and losses.
Causes of Slip and Fall or Trip and Fall Accidents
Poor Maintenance: Uneven surfaces such as cracked pavement, potholes, or uneven surfaces in parking lots and garages can easily cause trips and falls. Similarly, accumulation of water, ice, snow, or oil leaks from vehicles can create slippery conditions, especially during inclement weather. Inadequate lighting in parking areas can obscure hazards, making it difficult for pedestrians to see where they are walking.
- Obstacles and debris: Loose gravel, litter, or discarded items can obstruct pathways and contribute to falls. Leftover shopping carts or pallets in parking lots can create tripping hazards. Car doors left open, tow hitches, or protruding parts from vehicles can lead to collisions or falls.
- Design and layout issues: Tight spaces between parked cars or narrow walkways can increase the likelihood of collisions or falls. Inadequate signage for pedestrian crossings, speed limits, or hazards can confuse or mislead users. In parking garages, staircases without handrails pose risks, especially for elderly or disabled individuals.
- Weather conditions: Accumulation of ice or snow during winter months can create slippery conditions if not properly cleared or treated. Wet surfaces due to rain can also increase the risk of slipping if drainage systems are inadequate.
How Such Accidents Can Be Prevented
Property owners and managers must conduct regular inspections and maintenance of parking areas to repair any cracks, potholes, or uneven surfaces promptly. They must also ensure proper drainage to prevent water accumulation and reduce the risk of slippery conditions. Here are some ways to help make parking lots and garages safer:
• Installing clear signage indicating pedestrian pathways, speed limits, and potential hazards.
• Marking crosswalks and pedestrian crossings with visible paint or signage to alert drivers and pedestrians.
• Installing adequate lighting throughout parking lots and garages, including in stairwells and corners, to improve visibility and safety during nighttime hours.
• Implement regular snow and ice removal protocols during winter months to maintain safe walking surfaces. Apply salt or de-icing agents as needed to prevent ice buildup and reduce slipping hazards.
• Regularly remove debris, trash, or abandoned items from parking areas to prevent tripping hazards.
• Ensure parking lots and garages comply with accessibility standards, including the provision of designated accessible parking spaces and accessible routes.
• Install ramps, elevators, and handrails where necessary to facilitate safe and easy access for all users.
Property owners or managers have a legal responsibility to maintain safe conditions on their premises. Failure to address known hazards or provide adequate warnings could result in liability for injuries sustained by visitors or users.
New York Premises Liability Lawyers
Property owners and/or property managers may be liable for slip and fall or trip and fall accidents in parking lots and parking garages. If you were involved in a slip and fall or trip and fall accident as a result of someone else’s negligence (carelessness), please remember that you have rights. Some of the damages that victims of such accidents can claim include, but are not limited to, medical expenses, loss of wages and benefits, cost of hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, past and future pain and suffering, permanent injury, etc.
The experienced New York personal injury attorneys with the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. For over 52 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses.
Our law firm recovered $1,700,000 for a woman who slipped and fell and received no hospital or medical treatment for one month after the accident. We recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
