Boca Raton Parking Lot Car Accident Lawyer

Hit by a car backing out of a space, or struck as a pedestrian while walking to your car? Parking lot accidents are common in Boca Raton’s busy shopping centers and grocery store lots. They happen at low speed, but they still cause real neck, back and shoulder injuries, especially when you are hit while stopped or on foot. In Florida, a driver who backs up must do so safely, so the backing driver is often at fault.

Don’t let an insurance company tell you it was “just a fender bender.” Parking lot accident claims are often disputed because each driver says the other was moving, police may not write a full report on private property, and store security video is often recorded over within days. Boca Raton car accident lawyer David B. Datny personally handles every case, and you will have direct access to him and the entire team. The sooner you call, the better the chance of getting that video before it is gone.

Common Parking Lot Crashes

• A driver backing out of a space hits a car driving down the lane
• A driver backs into a car that is stopped at a stop sign or waiting for a space
• Two drivers back out at the same time
• A driver cuts diagonally across empty spaces
• A driver speeding through a main lane hits a car turning into or out of a row
• A car hits a pedestrian walking to or from a store

Who Is at Fault in a Parking Lot Crash?

Florida law says a driver may not back up unless it can be done safely and without interfering with other traffic (§ 316.1985, Fla. Stat.). Beyond that, fault usually turns on who had the right of way. Traffic in the main lanes that run through a lot generally has priority over cars pulling out of parking rows, and stop signs and painted arrows in the lot must be followed.

Parking lots are private property, so police sometimes respond differently than on a public road. Call them anyway and ask for a report, and photograph the vehicles, the lane markings and any signs.

Where Parking Lot Accidents Happen in Boca Raton

Many parking lot crashes happen at Boca’s busiest shopping destinations, including Town Center at Boca Raton, Mizner Park, and the grocery stores, big-box stores and shopping plazas along Glades Road, Federal Highway and Palmetto Park Road. These lots are crowded, especially on weekends and during the winter season, with drivers hunting for spaces, pedestrians pushing carts and delivery trucks coming and going.

If you were hurt in a store’s parking lot by something other than another driver, such as a cart, a hazard or a lack of security, see our pages on parking lot accidents at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s and Publix.

“It Was Just a Fender Bender”: How Insurers Minimize Parking Lot Claims

Insurance companies often treat parking lot claims with suspicion from the start. Because the cars were moving slowly and the damage may look minor, adjusters label them “low-speed” or “minor impact” claims and assume any injury is exaggerated or was not caused by the crash. In our experience, that attitude shapes everything that follows, from how the claim is investigated to what the insurer offers.

The tactics we see most often:

• Pointing to minor vehicle damage. Insurers use photos of a small dent or scuffed bumper to argue the impact was too small to hurt anyone. But bumpers are built to absorb low-speed impacts without much visible damage, and the force of the collision can still pass through to the people inside.
• Calling it “low speed.” Speed is only part of the story. If you were stopped, turned in your seat or looking over your shoulder to back out, a sudden impact you didn’t see coming can injure your neck, back or shoulders.
• Dismissing pedestrian knockdowns. A person hit by a car in a parking lot, even at low speed, can be knocked to the pavement. The fall itself can cause head injuries, broken bones and shoulder, hip or knee injuries.
• Blaming something else. Insurers argue your pain comes from age, a prior injury or something that happened after the crash, rather than the crash itself.
• Lowball offers, or none at all. Some insurers offer to pay only for the car, or make an offer that doesn’t come close to covering your medical care.

How We Push Back

We build the case to show how the crash happened and how it caused your injuries:

• Photos, video, repair estimates and repair records that show the true force of the impact, including damage hidden behind the bumper
• Details of how you were hit, including where you were, which way you were facing and whether you saw it coming
• Medical records and your doctors’ opinions connecting your injuries to the crash
• Prior medical records, when needed, to show what changed after the crash. Florida law allows you to recover when a crash makes a pre-existing condition worse.

In our experience, how a parking lot claim is documented and presented early often decides whether the insurance company takes it seriously.