Supermarket car parks can be a hotspot for accidents and injury claims for many reasons. During peak times when cars are constantly moving around the car park and pedestrians are weaving in between cars, the hazards can be plentiful.
There are of course the trip and fall claims from poorly maintained car parks or general hazard and dangers in them as well. So let’s see if we can tell you whether you have a successful claim for personal injury compensation for a supermarket car park accident.
Rights of way in the car parks
The old car and pedestrian argument – who is responsible if a collision occurs between a car and a pedestrian waking round the car park?
Whilst it is always down to individual circumstances there is generally a higher duty of care imposed on the car driver. Drivers should expect that pedestrians will be using the car park and so there is likely a right of action against a car driver if an accident has happened. Unless the pedestrian jumped out in front of the car driver leaving them no time to be able to stop, the pedestrian can likely claim.
There may be a split of liability of course – say 50/50 if both driver and pedestrian are equally to blame. You can still claim in this scenario anyway.
Car collisions – the rules of the road apply
The usual rules of the road apply when it comes to supermarket car accidents. If a car pulls out of a space or from a side area where you had right of way then the other driver should be at fault. It’s usually down to the general ‘who has the right of way’ principle which is about correctly proceeding and sticking to the relevant signs and markings.
Another common one is two people pulling in to the same car parking space. Essentially if one driver has had to cross the path of the other then they are likely at fault. If it’s caused by two drivers going in at opposite ends of a space, then it’s likely that one is going to have to cross through another space first. Whoever had to cross the space to get there could be the one at fault.
Trips and Falls!
If there is a danger or a defect on the grounds that cause you to trip or fall then you may have a claim against the supermarket if they are responsible for the upkeep of the grounds. Taking photos of defects and prompt reporting can help, as can starting a claim ASAP because CCTV footage may be the valuable piece of evidence to prove your claim.
Need expert advice on any type of supermarket car park claims? Just call 0800 634 7575 today.
