As a driver, you are responsible for more than just being safe on the road, you are also responsible for the safety of the people and vehicles around you. Between highway driving, city cruising, and safely travelling through busy parking lots, there are many places where unexpected car accidents can happen. When accidents happen in Ottawa, Ontarion, it’s important to know your rights and options. Here are some tips from Ottawa car accident lawyers that will help you know what to do if you’ve sustained car accident injuries or were involved in a parking lot accident.
One of the most important things car accident lawyers know is that collisions occurring in parking lots are not covered under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act. A parking lot is considered private property, and when car accident injuries occur, the rules that are set in place are usually enforced by the property owner; this is the case in mall parking lots, for example. However, with more serious cases, the owner may leave it up to the police to deal with. Although charges are not usually laid by provincial or regional police, there may still be other federal and municipal laws that apply.
Here are some common examples from car accident lawyers in Ottawa about parking lot collisions and who is at fault:
- If you pull in, or back in, to a parking spot and hit a parked car, you are at fault.
- If you hit the open door of a parked car, the owner of the parked car is at fault.
- If two vehicles back into each other while leaving a parking spot at the same time, both may be at fault.
- If there is a reckless driver that damages your car or puts you at risk as a pedestrian, they may be charged by the police under an appropriate legal code.
In most cases, parking lot collisions are minor and do not require any additional attention after the event, but in more serious cases, where car accident injuries are sustained, it’s important to know what to do in order to get the justice you deserve.
When an accident in a parking lot occurs, car accident lawyers in Ottawa want you to know, and do, the following things:
- Take a picture of the vehicles involved.
- If the damage sustained appears to exceed $1000, police must be notified right away.
- Make sure to record the license plate number, name, and insurance details of the other driver.
- If you are not at fault, contact your insurance company right away, since they will be the ones paying for the damages incurred.
- Jot down all of the details about the accident, including everything that occurred, what you were doing, and what your saw at the time, to avoid forgetting important details later on, especially if there are car accident injuries.
