When most people think of parking lot accidents, they probably think first of collisions between moving motor vehicles, and second of collisions between cars and pedestrians trying to move to or from their own parked vehicles. However, these are far from the only types of accidents that can happen in the numerous lots and garages around Sin City—and in fact, some of those other types of accidents do not involve motor vehicles at all.
Accidental slips or trips and falls inside parking lots or garages can be just as dangerous as motor vehicle collisions. On top of that, they can be uniquely difficult to take effective legal action over. If you want to enforce your right to civil recovery in the wake of a parking lot fall in Las Vegas, you should strongly consider seeking the help of a skilled attorney from Shook & Stone sooner rather than later.
Who Could Be Liable for a Fall in a Parking Lot?
The basic theory at the heart of premises liability law is that property owners—including people who own and/or manage parking lots—have a duty of care to keep their property in a reasonably safe condition so that lawful visitors on their land are not likely to suffer an accidental injury. So, to hold a Las Vegas parking lot owner or manager legally liable for a slip or fall, you would need to prove that:
- They negligently failed to address hazardous conditions on their property, and
- Their negligence was the main and direct cause of your accident
Property owners are liable for slipping and tripping accidents caused by hazards which they—the owners—had direct knowledge of, but which they failed to promptly fix and failed to warn lawful visitors about. In some situations, though, it may be possible to sue a parking lot owner over a hazard they did not have direct knowledge of but should have discovered through regular inspection of their property.
Building a Strong Civil Claim Around a Parking Lot Fall
Regardless of where your parking lot fall happened in Las Vegas or who specifically you intend to sue over it, your chances of recovering civil compensation for your injuries will only be as good as the evidence you can present to support your lawsuit or settlement demand. For parking lot accidents in particular, it is often especially important to preserve and make effective use of evidence like:
- Surveillance/dashboard camera footage of the fall happening
- Medical records detailing the nature and severity of injuries caused by the fall
- Shoes and other clothing you were wearing at the time of the incident
- Testimony from witnesses to the accident
- Photos/videos of the accident scene
You may also need to be prepared to contest allegations made by the parking lot owner that you were mainly at fault for causing your own accident through your own irresponsible behavior. Otherwise, a court may wind up assigning you a percentage of comparative fault for your fall-related injuries and take away some or all of the compensation you would otherwise have been entitled to receive.
Talk to a Las Vegas Attorney About a Parking Lot Fall Claim
Losing your footing when you are not expecting to can cause serious injuries no matter where it happens. As many people unfortunately learn the hard way, though, falling onto a particularly unforgiving surface like the asphalt or concrete paving in a parking lot can be especially painful, not to mention debilitating in the long term.
If you believe your parking lot fall in Las Vegas was caused by a dangerous property condition that the lot owner should have done more to address, you may have grounds for legal action, which our attorneys could help you pursue. Call Shook & Stone today for a free initial consultation.
