What To Do When You Get Caught In A Parking Lot Accident

When you go to the mall, office, or somewhere else where you will bring your car and park, the possibility of getting into an accident in the parking area would be the farthest thing from your mind. Perhaps, it would not even cross your mind at all. However, as unexpected as it seems, parking lot accidents do happen. It usually happens in small parking spaces or being distracted while working your way around the parking area, unaware of oncoming cars or vehicles pulling out of the parking slot. When you find yourself caught in a parking lot mishap, you have to know the right things to do to make the situation work to your advantage.

In most cases, the authorities would not intervene in situations involving parking lot accidents. The more dominant reason for this is that in parking lots, cars usually move at slow speed, thus chances of major damages or injuries is really low. Another reason why the police will not intercede in such incidents is that parking lots are private property, and being such, it is not necessary to get the authorities involved. Considering this fact, it will then be all the more vital for you to know how to handle accidents in the parking lot and obtain information about the other driver.

In defending your claim, you have to know that your passengers can not qualify as your witnesses, as ruled by insurance companies. Hence, to support your case, you may have to seek help from other people in the parking lot who saw the accident.

It can be expected that different drivers have varying opinions on what happened. Each one may put the blame on the other. It is then important to get witnesses who will not be impartial to both parties and just state facts based on what he actually saw. It is also important for the drivers to still be on top of things and not let their high emotions get the best of them. The primary aim here is that drivers get each other’s contact details.

In the event that the other driver would not divulge his or her car insurance information, try contacting the authorities. Albeit there will still be no intervention from them, at least it will be on record that you kept in touch with them and this can be used to support your side of the story. It would also be better if you can document the accident by taking pictures, writing down as many details as possible and taking note of the witness’ contact information. If allowed to do so, you can even ask for surveillance tapes. With all the information in hand, you can go to the police station in your town and file a report.

Sometimes, drivers do not give any information simply because they do not have any car insurance to begin with, or because they believe that the accident was not their fault. If it is proven that indeed you are to blame for what happened, you will have to make a claim with your own insurance company. Most insurance agents do not really advise this, but you have to know too that your premiums will not increase as a result of one minor accident, more so if you have no history yet of any other mishaps.

But irrespective of whether it was your fault or the other driver’s fault, the most important things that have to be done in any car accident is to get the insurance contact details and file a claim with the insurance companies of both drivers. If need be, you can contact the police if the other driver refuses to give out any information. This way, you can avoid legal responsibility or obligation should you fail to file a claim and it will be eventually proven that physical harm or injuries resulted from the accident.

Flickr Photo Credit: meddygarnet