Syracuse, New York, Parking Lot Car Accidents

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Super Lawyer and American Institute of Trial Lawyers Litigator of the Year, is Committed to Defending the Rights of Parking Lot Car Crash Victims Across Syracuse. If You, or a Loved One, Have Been Injured in an Onondaga County Parking Lot Accident That Was Not Your Fault, You Deserve Effective, Aggressive Representation and an Attorney Willing to Fight for Your Rights.

Parking lots may be a fixture of everyday life for students and commuters, but they carry an understated—and often underestimated—risk of collision. Accidents can happen quickly and with little warning, leaving victims in pain and without any apparent means of recourse.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. is committed to providing peerless personal injury service. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, we firmly believe that nobody should be forced to bear the burden of another motorist’s mistake. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Syracuse parking lot accident that was not your fault, our experienced team of attorneys could help you obtain the compensation you need to begin rebuilding your life and reclaiming your independence. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

According to the National Safety Council, parking lots' unique characteristics make them much more dangerous than most people believe. Tens of thousands of crashes occur within lots and dedicated parking structures each year, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries.

Even here in Syracuse, parking lot-related accidents are reported with alarming regularity. In one tragic incident, a 3-year-old girl was killed—and her father seriously injured—after being hit by a car in the parking lot of Eastwood Baptist Church on James Street. In another case, two men were charged with more than 35 crimes after causing a non-injury collision while fleeing a traffic stop in North Syracuse.

The National Safety Council suggests that the surprising prevalence of parking lot collisions is due, at least in part, to relaxed attitudes toward distracted driving. In a survey, an estimated 66% of motorists told the National Safety Council that they would feel comfortable texting, using social media, or configuring a navigation system when actively driving through a parking lot or a parking garage.

Parking lots can have other hazards, too. If a parking lot is privately owned, its inherent design features and present physical conditions can exacerbate visitors’ risk of injury. Poor or inadequate maintenance, for instance, could lead to the formation of potholes or the accumulation of ice, posing a potential hazard to motorists and pedestrians alike.

You should never feel obligated to pay out-of-pocket for an accident that was not your fault. If a reckless driver or a negligent property management company caused your parking lot car crash or slip-and-fall accident, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you begin building a compelling case for compensation. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to schedule your 100% free consultation as soon as possible.

On the road, the severity of an accident is often influenced by a confluence of risk factors, ranging from the speed of each involved vehicle to the exact angle of impact.

Although many of these same dynamics are still relevant in parking lot collisions, the unusual design of most parking lots can have a marked influence on crash characteristics. Certain types of accidents are much more common in parking lots than on the highway or in city streets.

These include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Pedestrian Collisions: Parking lots and garages sometimes experience heavy pedestrian traffic, mainly if they are situated outside of a shopping mall or large office building. If visibility is limited and a motorist is negligent, they could strike passersby walking to or from their vehicles.
2. Parking Space Conflicts: Parking spaces can be particularly problematic for several reasons. Motorists who try to back out of their spot without ensuring they have the right-of-way could, for instance, reverse into a pedestrian or another vehicle. Similarly, if two cars are vying for the same space, they could cause an accident if neither driver is willing to cede their position.
3. Merging Accidents: If a parking lot or parking garage opens to a busier and higher-traffic roadway, there is significant potential for conflict between vehicles leaving the lot and those transiting outside it. Many of these accidents are angle accidents and left-turn collisions, which could result in catastrophic injuries if one or both cars are traveling at a high rate of speed.

Since parking lot collisions tend to happen at low speeds, they do not always end in injury and are rarely fatal. However, when injuries do occur, they can have serious and unexpectedly life-altering repercussions.

The most common types of parking lot car accident injuries include the following:

1. Bruising and contusions;
2. Severe cuts and lacerations;
3. Broken or fractured bones;
4. Road rash; and
5. Traumatic brain injuries.

Beyond these traumatic and blunt force-related injuries, some parking lot accident survivors are later diagnosed with whiplash, a common neck injury caused by the rapid back-and-forth movement of the head. In many cases, whiplash symptoms have a delayed onset, meaning they may not be noticeable until several hours or days have elapsed. However, once symptoms develop, they can be challenging to diagnose and treat.

New York’s no-fault insurance laws provide generous benefits to survivors of motor vehicle collisions and pedestrian accidents, irrespective of who is found at fault for the crash.

However, every no-fault claim is subject to strict limitations, determined by the scope of an individual’s policy and stringent state statutes. For victims with serious injuries, the benefits offered by no-fault insurance are often insufficient to make a full recovery.

In New York, survivors whose injuries meet or exceed a certain threshold reserve the right to file a claim for compensation against the person or party who caused their accident. The potential defendants in a parking lot personal injury lawsuit could include any one or more of the following:

1. An at-fault motorist;
2. A negligent pedestrian or cyclist;
3. A negligent property manager or parking lot operator;
4. A negligent construction company or contractor; or
5. The maker of a defective motor vehicle or motor vehicle device.

If successful, a personal injury lawsuit allows victims to recover damages for their medical expenses, anticipated care needs, lost income from work, and emotional pain and suffering. These damages are not capped and can easily surpass the compensation available through an insurance claim.

Since founding the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. in 2005, Jed Dietrich, Esq., has helped his clients in Syracuse and across the state obtain more than $250 million in damages. We could help you, too. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to schedule your free consultation and find out how much your case could be worth.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight for the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!