Parking Lot Accidents Who is at Fault?

 So, you are driving in Target’s parking lot when, all of a sudden, a car backs out of a parking space and hits you.  Who is at fault?  Car accidents in parking lots usually occur because someone is not paying attention. Parking lot accidents generally occur when:
(1) A driver pulls out of a parking space without looking for other vehicles or pedestrians.  A car driving forward in a parking lot has the right of way as compared to a car that is backing out of a parking spot.  So, it is important to be cautious when you back out of a parking spot because in such accidents, it is the driver backing out who is almost always at fault.
(2) A driver suddenly stops to allow a car to back out of a parking spot.  In doing so, the driver gets hit from behind by another car.  Rules of the road generally apply in parking lots and in California, the prima facia speed limit for driving in a parking lot is 15 mph.  So, if a driver hits another vehicle from behind, it generally means that the driver was driving too close or too fast.  Hence, the driver that struck the back of the other vehicle would be at fault.
(3) A driver makes a sudden turn into the path of another vehicle in order to get into an empty parking space.  Under California law, a driver cannot make a right or left turn unless the move can be made safely.  Since the rules of the road apply in parking lots, a driver who suddenly turns into the path of an oncoming vehicle (in order to get into an empty space) would be at fault for making an unsafe turn.”
For more information, please call The Mason Law Firm at 661-476-5678 or email mason@mrscvlaw.com.