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Parking lots can be hazardous places. Drivers have a duty to watch out for pedestrians but they are often distracted. We were saddened to read about a serious Chesapeake parking lot accident that left a woman with multiple life-threatening injuries this week.
The incident occurred in the parking lot of a Dollar Tree off Portsmouth Boulevard in Western Branch on Monday.
Chesapeake police spokesman Leo Kosinski said first responders attended the incident around 11:40 a.m. The pedestrian was so badly injured she was airlifted to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for the treatment of multiple life-threatening injuries. Our thoughts are with the woman and her family at this tragic time.
Kosinski said a driver turned into a lane to park but did not see the woman walking and hit her. The driver kept going over the woman, but stopped eventually. Kosinski said the driver was cooperative with police.
We were saddened to read about this serious Chesapeake parking lot accident. Drivers in parking lots should travel slowly and look out for pedestrians as well as parking spaces.
In the 21st century, there are numerous pressures and distractions. Often drivers fail to make basic checks for people walking nearby because they are preoccupied or on their phones. Police have not disclosed the reason for this accident.
In 2011, a driver who claimed she was blinded by the sun ran over and killed a crossing guard outside Western Branch Intermediary School. Under a plea agreement reached in Chesapeake General District Court, the at-fault driver admitted one count of improper driving. Her original charge of reckless driving was reduced to a less serious charge. She ended up paying $250 in the criminal case.
The Virginian Pilot reported the victim’s family filed a $6 million lawsuit against the at-fault driver accusing her of failing to slow down in a designated school zone, failing to keep a proper lookout, failing to control her vehicle, exceeding the safe speed for the existing conditions and being inattentive.
Although we often associate parking lots with fender benders, serious and life-threatening accidents can and do occur in parking lots.
Parking lots are chaotic places. As many as one in five accidents are reported in parking lots. Drivers may encounter distracted pedestrians on their cell phones, shoppers pushing carts, toddlers running out suddenly and kids on bikes. Drivers must be attentive in parking lots.
There are variable rules and speed limits in parking lots. The speed limit for most business and residential areas is 25 mph, states Virginia Department of Transportation. Under Virginia state law, the governing body of any city, county, or town may regulate vehicle and pedestrian flow, the parking of vehicles, and speed limits on parking lots open to the public which are designed to accommodate 50 or more vehicles. No local ordinance can conflict with state law.
Liability in Chesapeake parking lot accidents depends on a wide range of factors. If one vehicle is moving and another is not, the driver of the moving car will almost inevitably be at fault.
If two cars are moving factors such as the markings on lanes indicated on the pavement, traffic patterns, signage, and other factors become important.
Many parking lot accidents are fenders benders that cause property damage only. You don’t typically need to hire a lawyer in these cases. However, far too many parking lot accidents result in serious injuries caused by careless and inattentive drivers.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a parking lot accident, please call our Chesapeake personal injury lawyers today for a free consultation. We have a client meeting location in the Greenbrier area of the city as well as in Portsmouth near Western Branch, and a main office in Norfolk. We can visit your home or meet you at the hospital. Call us today at (757) 455-0077.
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