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As Florida's population increases, there are more people in our parking lots. Typically, parking lots at malls and supermarkets are packed, increasing the possibility of accidents. Parking lot crashes often occur at low speeds, but they still can lead to pedestrian and driver injuries. 

Following are some examples of recent parking lot accidents which resulted in fatalities: 

In early September 2017, Florida Today reported that a 71-year-old woman was struck and killed in Palm Bay, Florida, by a motorist in the parking lot of a RaceTrac gas station. At the time the police said the motorist who hit the woman was suffering from a medical condition. 

A Lake Worth, Florida woman died following a chain-reaction crash in the parking lot of a Publix store in July 2017. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says a woman in the parking lot backed out of a parking space at a high rate of speed for an unknown reason. Her car slammed into a parked car, pushing it into a third car. A woman happened to be putting groceries into the trunk of her car when the car hit her, according to CBS 12 News. 

The Gainesville Sun reported that in February 2017, a 23-year-old man was injured and died after he stumbled in a Gainesville, Florida apartment complex parking lot and was run over.  

According to the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers Association, one out of every five automobile accidents occurs in a parking garage and parking lot. Although it is rare that someone dies in a parking lot accident, as noted above, it does happen. It is very common, however, to be injured in parking lot accidents. 

There are four types of parking lot accidents: 

1. Two drivers back out from their parking spaces into each other.
2. Drivers pull out into traffic from their parking spaces.
3. Drivers back out of a parking space into a parked vehicle.
4. Two drivers collide while trying to compete for the same parking space. 

Who is at fault in a parking lot accident? 

Authorities say, it may be difficult to prove who was at fault in an accident because: 

• Police do not always respond to accidents in parking lots as most parking lots are considered private property. Laws that would otherwise apply to drivers on a public road or highway do not always apply in a private parking lot or garage. 

• Accidents that happen in parking lots or garages are usually considered low-impact fender-benders and often do not result in serious injuries. 

When an accident happens, you can generally use one or two factors to determine who was at fault in a parking lot accident, according to the Journal Record, “Parking Lot Wars”: 

1. Was the car moving?If only one car is moving, the driver of a moving vehicle is generally, in the majority of cases, at fault in an accident. 

2. Which driver had the right of way?If both cars are moving, one car typically has the right of way, based on the pattern or lane of traffic. Of course, if a driver is going too fast or fails to yield, that driver may be at fault. 

“Being injured in a parking lot or parking garage can be devastating. Should it happen to you or a family member, contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A,” said Randall Spivey, Naples Personal Injury Lawyer. 

Naples Personal Injury Lawyer, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just 1 percent of Florida attorneys. He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida. For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at  239. 337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com  for more information. You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.