Parking garages are everywhere in Atlanta. They allow many cars to be parked where space is tight. Out in the suburbs, huge parking lots exist for hundreds of vehicles, but a garage in a city takes up much less space.
What happens if you get into a crash in a parking garage? In many cases, your accident claim will proceed normally, as if you were involved in a wreck out on the road. However, there are some unique differences, and you might end up suing the parking garage owner for contributing to your accident. We recommend calling Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys to speak with our Atlanta car accident lawyer. Our firm has helped increase the amount of compensation accident victims receive.
How Accidents Happen in Parking Garages
Parking garages are multi-level structures which allow hundreds of cars to be parked in a tight space. Garages are designed to maximize the flow of traffic. Typically, you enter the garage by driving onto a ramp and taking a ticket, either from a machine or a person in a booth. Then you drive up to the nearest level with an open spot to park your car.
When it comes time to leave, you drive back down. Some parking garages have two-way traffic, while others are designed so that traffic up or down is only in one direction. You pay down at the base, where you picked up your ticket, and then you exit the garage to pull into the road.
Accidents are not infrequent in parking garages:
- Backing up accidents. A motorist might crash into a pedestrian when pulling out of a parking lot because they weren’t looking.
- Wrong-way accidents. A vehicle might go the wrong way and crash head on with a different driver who is driving up or down the garage.
- Collisions with workers. Staff employed by the parking garage have been struck by careless or dangerous drivers.
- Speeding accidents. Drivers need to go at a slow speed, especially when taking corners. If a car is going too fast, it can go out of control and crash.
You might assume parking garage accidents cause little damage because a driver isn’t going fast. But that’s not the case. Some people end up hospitalized after one of these wrecks.
Who is to Blame for the Accident?
Often, a negligent driver is at fault for going too fast, failing to use mirrors, or for being distracted. Many people whip out their phones to check messages as they go up and down the parking garage, which leads to collisions.
In some situations, however, the parking garage owner might be to blame. Some defect could make the premises dangerous:
- Inadequate lighting. A parking garage needs ample light so that people can see pedestrians and other vehicles. Very little sun gets into a parking garage, so all lighting is artificial.
- Lack of mirrors. Many garages have mirrors strategically located to help drivers see around corners or when pulling out of the garage to see if there is foot traffic nearby. When the mirrors are missing, the risk of a crash increases.
- Missing signage. Directional signage helps orientate drivers to their location and instructs drivers where they need to go. Missing or obscured signs can contribute to an accident. You might go up the wrong way and collide with another car because the signs are confusing.
- Other defects. There are any other number of defects, such as potholes which cause a driver to lose control or confusing lines drawn on the ground.
When the garage is defective, then the garage owner can be liable for the crash. Most parking garages in Atlanta are owned by private companies, who you can sue.
What to Do after a Parking Garage Accident
You should immediately stop and do the steps you normally would after a crash:
- Render assistance to anyone who needs it. This might include calling an ambulance for someone who is badly hurt.
- Report the accident to the police. You should also inform the person working at the mouth of the parking garage. They will need to stop the flow of traffic.
- Swap personal and insurance information with the other driver involved in the crash. This information helps with making a claim.
- Talk to witnesses about what they saw and how you can contact them in the future.
You should also document what the parking garage looked like the day of the crash. For example, take many pictures of the walls and the floor. These pictures can show:
- Missing mirrors
- Improper or missing signage
- Faded or missing directional markers on the ground
Should You Sue the Parking Garage?
Yes, if the garage contributed to the accident. There are advantages to bringing a claim against the garage. Another driver might have only the state’s minimum liability insurance, which doesn’t pay much. But you could seek even more compensation from the parking garage. As a business, it should have liability insurance to cover any accidents on its premises.
Let us review who is responsible for the accident. A garage isn’t always responsible. In many cases, a dangerous or careless driver remains the sole defendant, but it helps to have a seasoned car accident lawyer investigate.
Call our firm quickly. We can research who owns the parking garage and is responsible for its maintenance. We can also put them on notice to preserve evidence for use in your personal injury case.
Also remember to go to the hospital. Accidents in parking garages are often low speed, but you can still suffer painful injuries. Only a slight “jolt” to the body is necessary to suffer a pinched nerve, concussion, or even fracture. Some people are seriously hurt in accidents where neither car is going over 10 miles per hour.
Schedule a Consultation Today
An Atlanta car accident lawyer can discuss your accident generally to find out more about your injuries and financial losses. If you hire us, we can negotiate with all possible defendants, including negligent drivers as well as the parking garage. Call us to schedule a free consultation, (404) 529-3476.