Though St. Louis parking lot accidents happen at much lower speeds and are almost never fatal, there is still a high chance of financial damage and injuries.

When you imagine an auto accident, you probably think of the worst case scenario: A high-speed collision. While these types of accidents happen all the time, it is just as likely that you will get into an accident under 10 MPH. This may come in the form of a parking lot accident. Though St. Louis parking lot accidents happen at much lower speeds and are almost never fatal, there is still a high chance of financial damage and injuries. Because of this, it is best to understand liability in parking lot accidents and follow safety tips to avoid them. No matter how careful you are, you might end up in a parking lot accident anyways. If this is the case, don’t hesitate to contact a St. Louis auto accident attorney.

Right of Way

This concept is essential in assessing liability because ignoring it is one of the most common forms of negligence in parking lots. In a parking lot, the driver that is driving in the lane has the right of way, while the driver that is pulling out of their spot does not. If a car pulls out of their spot aggressively and gets into an accident with a car driving through a lane, the car pulling out will likely be found liable.

Pulling out Simultaneously

Sometimes two cars will be pulling out of their spots at the same time. In this case, the driver who starts first has the right of way and the driver who pulls out second will likely be found liable. Who went first can be a tough thing to assess, though, so this situation may yield both drivers being assigned equal fault.

Reckless Driving

Another way to assign negligence is if a driver is reckless and aggressive. This is often the case when a driver is driving too fast, fighting other drivers for spots, driving in the middle of the lane instead of their side, or driving distracted.

Pedestrians

While an accident between two cars often does not often yield serious injuries, when there is a pedestrian involved, the stakes are raised. This situation can lead to severe injury for the pedestrian and a significant amount of liability for the driver.

Safety Tips

First, make sure you follow general safe driving tips like avoiding distractions, driving below the speed limit, following right of way rules, using your turn signals, making full stops at stop signs, and driving defensively. Next, you can follow some parking lot specific tips like carefully looking around before backing out, listening for pedestrians passing by, and never racing for a spot.

Though they are generally not often fatal, a parking lot accident still costs you in repairs and time wasted. You’ll want to do everything you can to avoid one. When you are in a parking lot, be sure to drive slowly and defensively. If you still end up in an accident, discuss your options with an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney.

A car accident is a stressful enough situation. If you’ve ever been in a fender-bender or a single-car accident, you know that to be the truth. But what about serious car accidents that involve 2, 3, or even more cars, such as a pile-up on the highway?

It’s hard to know what to do to stay safe in these situations, so we’ve put together these tips to help you deal with even the most difficult multi-car accidents.

1. Don’t Move Your Car After The Accident (And Don’t Get Out)

While there are some rare exceptions to this rule, the police usually must determine who was at fault and caused a “chain reaction” leading to the accident.

This is the reason that you generally shouldn’t move your car after an accident without police permission, unless it is necessary to do so for safety reasons. It is generally best not get out of the car until emergency services personnel like EMTs, the police, or fire department have secured the scene, and informed you that it is safe to do so.

2. Take Photos And Video Of The Scene

Determining fault and liability in a multi-car accident can be nightmarishly complex. Because of this, we recommend taking photos and video of the scene, if possible. If you have a smartphone, take it out and take photos of your car from every angle, and take photos of all other cars involved in the accident, as well as a video of the scene, if possible and safe to do so.

3. Get Insurance Information From All Other Available Parties (And Provide Your Own)

The majority of work determining fault will be done by your respective insurance agencies. Get the insurance information of all other involved parties, so that you will be able to report the incident, and the details of the accident.

4. Give a Report to the Police

Once the police arrive, give them a report of the accident, and be honest and truthful about the circumstances surrounding the incident. However, you do not have to admit fault.

They should give you information about how to get a police report when it is finalized.

5. Contact a Car Accident Lawyer

You must report your accident to your insurance adjuster as soon as you can. Doing so will help speed up the process, particularly if multiple insurance companies are involved. Additionally, you should speak with an experienced car accident attorney ASAP. Despite what you may think, the insurance companies are not looking out for your best interests. Insurance companies are looking to minimize the amount they pay out to injury victims. Speaking with a St. Louis car accident attorney will go a long way in ensuring your legal right to compensation is protected after an accident.

Follow These Tips To Get Through An Accident!

A multiple-car accident can be very stressful, but with these tips, you can stay safe, and ensure that you do everything you can to streamline the process of reporting and filing an insurance claim.

Once you sign a settlement offer you absolve the insurance company from any liability going forward. Here’s what you should  be aware of before accepting a settlement offer.

If you are in an auto accident in Missouri, then the at-fault driver, or their insurance company is responsible for paying for any resulting damages and injuries. The problem is that although an insurance policy is meant to ensure that someone is compensated wholly, that is not the insurance company’s number one priority.

A settlement is an offer that an insurance company will make to those who are injured in an accident to stop the case from escalating to trial.

It is an amount that is meant, not to make sure that the victim is compensated to the fullest, but to limit the insurance company’s losses by offering the least amount possible.

If you are offered a lowball settlement price, and you think that taking it would be settling for less than you are entitled to, you are probably right.

Do You Know How to Calculate Non-Economic and Economic Losses?

Unless you are an expert in car accident injury law, you may not understand how to calculate both non-economic and economic injuries. Economic injuries might be easier to figure out. They are a combination of all the medical treatment and lost revenue you have due to your injuries. Non-economic damages are different. They are not concrete like economic damages.

How to Calculate Non-Economic Damages

To figure out how much your injury is worth, you have to know how to use either the multiplier method or the per diem method of calculation. If you don’t calculate your injury correctly, you will not know how much they are worth and you could end up not getting all that you deserve.

To ensure that you get all that you are entitled to for your car accident injuries, it is an excellent idea to speak with a St. Louis car accident attorney. Using your medical bills and other documents, your attorney can come to a quantitative amount of what your experience related to the accident is.

Since non-economic damages are not concrete and include pain and suffering and emotional distress, there is going to be a lot of wiggle room between what the insurance company thinks your anguish is worth and what a St. Louis car accident lawyer defending you thinks it is worth.

If an insurance company offers you a settlement, and although you don’t feel it is enough, you are tempted to take it, don’t. Having a lawyer look over your claim is the best way to ensure you are getting the full amount you deserve.

Once more, if you do sign it, then you absolve the insurance company from any liability going forward.

Insurance companies work hard to limit their liability. It is important to speak with a car accident lawyer to understand what you are entitled to.

When you are in a car accident in the state of Missouri, who is at-fault is determined, and then that person’s insurance company is generally responsible for paying for both the injuries of the at-fault driver and any property damage.

It might be the case that both, or even multiple drivers, are at-fault due to comparative negligence. If more than one driver is at fault, then the insurance company is responsible for paying for their “portion” or percentage of negligence according to the law.

If you filed a claim for personal injury through your insurance company and you are being denied coverage, there are times when it will “stick” and others when the insurance company is just looking for a way out of their obligation.

Knowing the difference, and defending yourself against being turned away when you shouldn’t, is critical to getting the compensation that you deserve.

Why Would an Insurance Company Deny a Claim?

You pay your premium and expect that an insurance company’s job is to ensure that you are adequately compensated when you are in an accident, but that might not always be the case. A car insurance company is in the business as a business.

That means that their goal is to be profitable. They do that by trying to limit their liability any way that they can. That gives them an incentive to deny claims that are real and justified, to make people jump through hoops and hopefully give up.

It also means that an insurance company will almost always low ball how much they give you. Whether it is assessing your car repairs at a lower cost than is realistic or trying to limit your non-economic damages, they will work hard to pay you as less as possible, not to compensate you wholly.

Valid Reasons Why They Can Deny Your Claim

Not all denials are based on unethical practices. There are valid reasons that your claim might be denied, the most common being:

• Your insurance was expired when you were in the accident.
• There isn’t enough evidence to prove that you were at-fault in the crash.
• The accident happened in a location where your policy does not cover you.
• You don’t have the proper documentation to determine that you were injured at all, or your injuries were pre-existing, and not a result of the accident.

Your insurance company is required to pay for a car accident where you were at-fault, period. If you are being denied coverage, it is crucial that you speak with a St. Louis car accident attorney as soon as possible.

Even if the insurance company is trying to minimize your compensation, your St. Louis car accident lawyer will fight hard to ensure that they live up to their end of the deal and only pay the amount to which they are obligated. If you don’t fight, you won’t win.