Parking garage accidents can involve more than a simple fender bender. Tight spaces, limited visibility, pedestrians, vehicles backing out, and drivers searching for parking can create complicated questions about fault. A car accident lawyer Irvine drivers contact after a parking garage crash can investigate how the collision happened, identify every responsible party, and deal with the insurance companies involved.
Some accidents involve two vehicles. Others involve a driver striking a pedestrian, a poorly maintained property, or a dangerous condition that contributed to the crash. Understanding exactly what caused the accident is the first step in determining who may be responsible.
Parking Garage Accidents Can Happen in Many Ways
Drivers move differently inside parking garages than they do on ordinary roads.
Vehicles may suddenly back out of spaces, turn around blind corners, or stop without warning. Pedestrians may walk between parked vehicles where drivers cannot easily see them.
Common parking garage accidents include:
- Two vehicles backing into each other
• A driver striking a moving vehicle while leaving a space
• A vehicle hitting a pedestrian
• Collisions at ramps and blind corners
• Drivers ignoring stop signs or directional markings
• Vehicles striking walls, barriers, or other structures
• Multi vehicle crashes near entrances and exits
The type of accident can affect which evidence is most important and who may share responsibility.
Right of Way Disputes Are Common
After a parking garage collision, both drivers may claim that the other person was responsible.
One driver may say they were already moving through the traffic lane. The other may claim that the first vehicle was speeding or failed to react.
Important questions may include:
- Which vehicle was backing up?
• Was one vehicle already established in the traffic lane?
• Did either driver stop before moving?
• Were directional arrows or signs present?
• Was either driver distracted?
• Did another vehicle block the view?
The location of the damage can help, but it rarely tells the complete story by itself.
An attorney may compare photographs, witness statements, video, and the position of the vehicles before determining how fault should be evaluated.
Surveillance Video Can Be Critical Evidence
Many parking garages have security cameras near entrances, exits, payment areas, elevators, and pedestrian walkways.
Video may show:
- Which vehicle moved first
• Whether a driver was backing up
• How fast the vehicles were moving
• Whether a pedestrian was visible
• The sequence of the collision
• What happened immediately afterward
The problem is that surveillance footage may not be stored forever.
An attorney may need to identify who controls the video and request that relevant footage be preserved.
The most useful recording may not come from the garage owner. Nearby businesses, individual vehicles, or witnesses may also have video.
Pedestrian Accidents Can Cause Serious Injuries
Parking garages place vehicles and pedestrians in the same limited space.
A person walking toward an elevator or parked vehicle may be difficult to see, especially when large SUVs or trucks block the driver’s view.
Pedestrian accidents may happen when a driver:
- Backs out without checking carefully
• Turns around a blind corner
• Drives too quickly for the conditions
• Looks for a parking space instead of watching the path ahead
• Fails to yield in a pedestrian area
Even a collision at a relatively low speed can cause significant injuries when a pedestrian has no protection from the vehicle.
Claims may involve fractures, head injuries, knee injuries, spinal injuries, and other physical harm.
Property Conditions May Contribute to the Accident
Not every parking garage claim involves driver negligence alone.
The condition or design of the property may also become part of the investigation.
Possible issues may include:
- Poor lighting
• Broken mirrors at blind corners
• Obstructed signs
• Faded directional markings
• Dangerous traffic flow
• Broken gates
• Poorly maintained walking areas
• Oil, water, or other slippery conditions
The attorney should determine whether the accident was caused entirely by a driver or whether a dangerous property condition also contributed.
This can become important because a parking garage may be owned, operated, managed, and maintained by different people or companies.
Several Parties May Be Involved in the Claim
A parking garage accident may require more than one insurance investigation.
Depending on what happened, potentially responsible parties may include:
- Another driver
• The vehicle owner
• A driver’s employer
• A rideshare or delivery company
• A property owner
• A property management company
• Another business responsible for maintenance
The facts determine which parties should be investigated.
For example, if a driver was working at the time of the crash, additional insurance questions may arise. If the accident involved a dangerous property condition, records concerning maintenance and prior complaints may become important.
Insurance Companies May Try to Divide Fault
The other driver’s insurer may not accept complete responsibility.
An adjuster may argue that you:
- Drove too quickly
• Failed to stop
• Could have avoided the collision
• Were distracted
• Backed out at the same time
• Were not paying attention to pedestrians or other vehicles
Parking garage cases can be especially vulnerable to conflicting accounts because police may not always witness the scene and physical evidence can be limited.
That makes independent evidence important.
Photographs, video, vehicle damage, witness accounts, and the layout of the garage can help show what actually happened.
Document the Scene Before Evidence Disappears
When physically able, take photographs and videos before leaving the garage.
Try to document:
- Vehicle positions
• Damage to every vehicle
• The surrounding traffic lane
• Parking space markings
• Signs and directional arrows
• Lighting conditions
• Nearby cameras
• Obstructions that affected visibility
Get contact information from witnesses.
You should also report the accident to the appropriate property representative when the condition of the garage may have contributed to what happened.
A complete record can be valuable when the drivers later give different versions of the collision.
Medical Evidence Connects the Crash to the Injuries
Insurance companies may argue that a parking garage collision was too minor to cause significant harm.
The medical evidence may become central to the claim.
An attorney may review:
- Emergency room records
• Imaging results
• Specialist evaluations
• Physical therapy
• Surgical recommendations
• Medical bills
• Future treatment needs
Vehicle speed is only one part of the investigation.
The claim should consider the actual injuries, medical findings, treatment, and physical limitations caused by the accident.
Different Deadlines Can Apply to Different Claims
California Courts states that the usual deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit is two years from the injury, but different and shorter procedures can apply when a government agency is involved. A claim against a government agency generally must first be presented through the government claim process, and some claims have deadlines as short as six months.
This can matter when a parking facility or another potentially responsible party has a government connection.
Waiting can also make a claim harder to investigate because video may disappear, vehicles may be repaired, and witnesses may become difficult to find.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer Irvine Drivers Can Call After a Parking Garage Crash
A car accident lawyer Irvine drivers contact after a parking garage accident should investigate the complete scene, preserve surveillance footage, review the vehicle damage, identify witnesses, and determine whether a driver, property owner, business, or multiple parties may share responsibility.
Bojat Law Group represents people injured in parking garage accidents and other collisions throughout Irvine, Orange County, and Southern California. The firm handles car accidents, pedestrian accidents, rear end collisions, multi car crashes, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, Uber and Lyft accidents, catastrophic injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and wrongful death cases.
Bojat Law Group has recovered more than $100 million for clients and offers free consultations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Call Bojat Law Group at (818) 877-4878 to discuss your Irvine parking garage accident claim. There is No Win No Fee, which means you pay no attorney fee unless compensation is recovered.
