Jackson, TN Parking Lot Car Accidents
Attorneys Serving Motor Vehicle Wreck Victims in Jackson
Parking lot car accidents are more common than one might normally think. Statistics show that 1 out of every 5 car accidents occur in parking lots across the United States. According to the National Safety Council, parking lot accidents account for nearly 60,000 injuries per year and over 500 fatalities. Many parking lot wrecks involve pedestrians, leaving them with critical injuries. Although most would consider parking lots to be safer than highways and city streets, accidents still happen. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car wreck, the Jackson car accident lawyers at Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz are ready to work with you and help you obtain all that you are entitled to under the law. As the largest plaintiff’s personal injury law firm based in Tennessee, our Jackson attorneys have the resources to handle your case from start to finish.
Proving Negligence After a Parking Lot Car Accident in Madison County
When responding to a car wreck in a parking lot, it is common for police officers not to issue any citations since the crash occurred on private property. This often leads to issues of liability with the at-fault party trying to place some, if not all, of the blame on you. When this happens, the other party’s insurance company may dispute liability and claim you were at fault, regardless of the facts. Many parking lot car accidents are caused by impatient drivers or people in a rush who exhibit aggressive driving.
To successfully bring a claim against another driver following an auto accident, Tennessee law requires you to prove the other driver’s negligence by a preponderance of the evidence, which is usually deemed to mean that your version is more likely true than not. To meet this burden, the following elements must be established:
- Duty owed to you by the other driver
- Breach of duty owed by the other driver
- Causation, both actual and proximate
- Damages
Generally speaking, Tennessee drivers have a duty to maintain a safe lookout, yield for oncoming traffic or pedestrians, obey traffic laws, and drive at a reasonably safe speed. A driver breaches that duty when he fails to live up to these standards and causes a collision. Although the driver may have breached his duty to drive in a safe manner, it must also be proven that the driver’s breach actually caused the accident to occur and that you were injured as a result.
In many situations, parking lot car accidents turn into word versus word situations if no citations were issued and the police officer decline to write a report. Thus, it is very important to hire an experienced car accident attorney in the Jackson, Tennessee area to advocate on your behalf. Tennessee has adopted the doctrine of modified comparative fault, which means that any negligence attributed to you for causing or contributing to a collision could be used to reduce your overall recovery for losses like medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. For example, if you were found to be 20% responsible for the wreck, you will be able to collect 80% of the awarded amount.
Contact Our West Tennessee Lawyers Today for a Free Consultation
Parking lot car accidents may appear straightforward but can turn into complex litigation if not handled correctly from the outset. Our Jackson attorneys understand the importance of conducting a thorough investigation into an accident in order to help the injured victim recover fair compensation. Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz fights for victims in Jackson, as well as the rest of Tennessee, and areas throughout Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Missouri. Contact our office today for a free consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers by calling 800-529-4004 or by completing our online form. We look forward to showing you why NST is the way to go if you were hurt in a car wreck in Jackson or Madison County.
