What to Do if You Get into an Accident in a Parking Lot

People tend to be multi-tasking and not paying attention to where they are going in parking lots. There are many issues that arise in a parking lot accident and it is important to be able to deal with them to protect your interests.  Below are some tips on what to do if you find yourself in a parking lot accident.

After the accident occurs, make sure to get a witness if possible. Your insurance company will require an independent witness and don’t forget to get down their name, number and what they saw happen. If there are no witnesses around talk with the business owners to see if they have surveillance cameras that may have caught the accident on tape.  Get the insurance and contact information of the other driver involved in the accident.

The next step is to call the police to file a report. Many police officers will not answer to a parking lot accident because it is private property, so if necessary you can walk in and file a report at the nearest police station. Make sure to provide a detailed statement of what occurred because it may be the only piece of evidence that comes in.

Make sure to call your insurance company and let them know what happened. This is important to protect you if the other party tries to make a claim against you.

Document the accident with photos of your car, the other car and the parking lot. Try drawing a diagram of how the accident occurred so you can share it with your insurance adjuster along with all the information you have collected.

If any injuries occurred make sure to deal with those right away or consult a personal injury lawyer if needed.