A Complete Guide to Texas Parking Lot Accident Laws

Did you know that there are an average of 6 million car accidents in the United States every day?

Car accidents happen every day and in all manner of places. One of the most common places for car accidents is in parking lots. You need to understand parking lot accident laws to make sure you understand how to handle a parking lot crash.

Knowing Texas parking lot accident laws will keep you informed of when you’re at fault and the proper way to proceed in the case that an accident does happen.

Continue reading to learn more laws about parking lot accident laws in Texas.

Common Accidents: Parking Lot Accident Laws

Though accidents occur in parking lots often, there are a variety of different types of accidents that can happen in a parking lot. The law determines who is at fault depending on the category that the accident falls under.

Here’s a breakdown of the most common types of parking lot crashes.

Backing Out of Parking Spots

Backing out of a parking spot is arguably the most common type of car accident that happens in a parking lot. If you’re backing out of a spot and get in a car accident, you’re most likely at fault for the accident.

Backing out of a parking spot carries much more risk of hitting another car or person than other forms of driving. Sadly, children are the most common victims of being hit by a car that is backing out of a parking spot.

The risk is higher because it is difficult for the driver of the car that is backing up to see out and around the cars around them to see any cars or people walking behind their vehicle.

Though their sight is blocked that isn’t a valid excuse when it comes to laws about parking lot accidents in Texas. The driver is expected to yield if they see any oncoming cars or pedestrians and wait to go until the way is open.

Speeding In a Parking Lot

With the amount of activity going on in parking lots, it is crucial that you stay at or below the speed limit for the safety of those around you.

There will be pedestrians walking to or from the store. There will also be vehicles looking for open parking spots. Speeding through a parking lot puts all of these people in danger.

While most speed limit signs posted in parking lots are not posted by the government, they provide a good guideline of how fast you should drive. You should obey these speed limits for the safety of the people visiting the store or building.

Drunk Driving

Any time that your senses are impaired by drugs or alcohol, you should under no circumstances get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Accidents as a result of DWIs cause serious injuries and even death to passengers in other vehicles or possibly yourself.

This is just as true in parking lots as it is on the open road. Drunk driving can go hand-in-hand with other types of accidents on this list since alcohol impairs the driver’s judgment and ability to react quickly.

Drunk driving on public roads and highways is illegal in the state of Texas, and if you get pulled over while operating a vehicle under the influence you will be arrested.

The unsafe conditions of a drunk driver make it a shoo-in that any accident that the driver gets in, they will be considered at fault for. If you’ve been the victim of a drunk driving accident, go here to contact an attorney who can help.

Texting and Driving

Texting and driving accidents are some of the most common types of accidents and their frequency is only increasing as time goes by.

Texting and driving accidents happen a lot in parking lots because people get back to their cars and proceed to reply to text messages to let them know that they’re on the way.

While that conversation should end as soon as the vehicle starts, most times it doesn’t. The conversation continues into the journey with the attention of the driver divided between controlling the vehicle and replying.

This is a dangerous situation no matter where the car is driven, but it is especially dangerous in a parking lot with pedestrians walking and other cars searching for open parking spots. Add closed confines to the mix and it has the recipe for a parking lot crash waiting to happen.

The time that it takes to look at your phone and reply is all the time needed for a parking lot accident to occur.

So who’s at fault for a parking lot accident related to texting and driving? The fault in that situation lies with the person who is texting while driving and they are held liable.

Blind Corners

This type of accident happens more in parking garages because of the tight turns and the limited line of sight for drivers. Parking garages also have unclear signage and directions that confuse drivers.

The most common way for blind corner accidents to occur is when one driver cuts a corner when turning or turns a corner too fast and hits another vehicle.

In situations like this, the driver who didn’t handle the circumstances with more caution is usually the driver found at fault for the accident.

It is important when driving your vehicle in a parking garage to drive slowly, follow the directions of the signs, and be patient. It will keep you and the drivers around you safe and your vehicles intact.

Have You Been In a Parking Lot Accident?

Have you been in a parking lot accident recently? It’s important to know the parking lot accident laws in Texas so that you know who is at fault for the accident as well as what you can expect in a settlement.

Parking lot accidents happen frequently and in a variety of ways, but most of these accidents are avoidable by giving the road 100 percent of your attention and driving at or below the speed limit.

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