Last updated on January 19th, 2025
You might feel like, if you get in a parking lot accident, it’s won’t hurt you very much. You may think it will not damage your car much, either. Maybe it works out that way, but sometimes it doesn’t.
On some occasions you might sustain serious injuries in a parking lot accident, or you may cause some. You may also damage your car or someone else’s more than you’d think possible.
Proving liability in parking lot injury accidents often becomes difficult. Maybe you feel sure the other driver caused it, but they blame you instead.
If you get in a parking lot accident, and it looks like you need a lawyer, make sure you find and hire a reputable one. Otherwise, you might end up getting no money, even if you’re sure you can blame the other driver.
Parking lot accidents can happen at any time and for any reason. However, you can usually identify certain contributing factors if you look at a few of these cases.
We’ll talk about the most common causes of parking lot accidents in the following article.
Cell Phones
Cell phones revolutionized the world once they become readily available and fairly inexpensive. At one point, only a few people had them. Now, you can find great-grandmothers with the latest iPhone.
Smartphones have many uses, but if you try to use one while driving, that often spells disaster for you and other drivers or pedestrians around you. If you’re on your cell phone in a parking lot, it can easily distract you.
If that happens, you might back into another car that you didn’t see behind you. You might put the car in drive rather than reverse by accident and hit a vehicle in the space ahead of you.
If you’re driving, whether in a parking lot or anywhere else, that needs your full, undivided attention. Make sure you keep your cell phone in your pocket while driving, or put it in the glove compartment out of sight.
You can even turn it off entirely if you think you might look at it while driving. Some people can’t resist the enticing chime when they get a text, or they might answer a call when they should instead look at the cars and pedestrians around them.
Adjusting the Radio
You might also want to adjust the radio while you’re in a parking lot. That’s fine, provided you still have the car in park.
If you try to adjust the radio with the car in drive, you might let it distract you. It’s another all-too-common distracted driving situation that often causes parking lot accidents.
Find the station you want while you still have the car in park and stick with that choice. If you decide later that you want to change it, either pull over or at least wait till you’re stopped at a red light.
If you have someone else in the passenger’s seat, you might also ask them to adjust the radio while you’re driving. That way, you won’t endanger yourself and other motorists near you.
Other Individuals in the Car
You might let someone in the car with you distract you when you’re in a parking lot. Maybe you’re talking to a person in the passenger’s seat, or perhaps they’re in the back seat instead.
Maybe you’re talking to them about a topic that excites you. Perhaps you’re comparing notes on a movie trailer you just saw or a TV show that you both watch.
You might also have a situation where you and a passenger argue. That can happen in a car, and when it does, that’s dangerous. Fights in cars can definitely cause accidents, whether you’re in a parking lot or anywhere else.
To avoid these issues, you can speak to someone in the car with you, but only do so if you’re sure you can also keep your eyes on what’s around you. If you let the conversation suck you in, don’t let it surprise you if you scrape another car or hit someone’s rear bumper.
Food or Drinks
Maybe you’re in a fast-food restaurant’s parking lot. If you just got some Wendy’s or KFC, the smell might fill the car and make your mouth water.
If that happens, and you want to eat or drink before driving off, then you can do that, but make sure you leave the car off while doing so. You can also have the engine on, but leave the vehicle in park.
If you decide you’ll try to eat or drink while driving out of the parking lot, that can cause a serious accident. Someone might plow into you while you are trying to dunk a nugget in some sauce or while you’re attempting to grab some fries from the bottom of the bag.
The Car’s Navigation System
Many cars come with navigation systems these days. They’re often quite useful. You can typically put in an address or a location’s name, and within seconds, you will have detailed directions that you can easily follow.
However, if you’re putting in an address, that will almost always distract you. That’s dangerous when you’re out on the road, and also when you’re in a parking lot.
Make sure that if you’re going to use the navigation system, it’s all set up before you take the car out of park. That way, you will know that you’re not going to scrape a vehicle beside you while you’re trying to input the right address.
If you keep these factors in mind, then you should do fine driving in parking lots. Often, you’re going at a low rate of speed when you’re in one, so you can stop abruptly if a dangerous situation develops in front of you or somewhere nearby.
Parking lot accidents often happen with younger, inexperienced drivers, but older and more experienced ones can have them as well. Avoid both embarrassment and damaging your vehicle by staying vigilant while in these circumstances.
