The Big Apple is notably one of the worst cities for traffic congestion in the U.S. As a result, private companies and municipalities have designed parking garages to combat limited street parking and reduce traffic. Parking garages provide motorists with secure and reliable spaces to park their vehicles. However, despite these structures’ numerous advantages and convenience, they can still be dangerous. These compact facilities can be busy areas, meaning various types of accidents can occur, including slip-and-fall accidents and collisions due to negligence. If you or someone you love has been injured in a parking garage accident due to someone else’s negligence, contact a competent New York City Personal Injury Attorney who can help you fight to obtain the compensation you rightfully deserve.
What are some of the most common causes of parking garage accidents in New York?
Unfortunately, drivers and pedestrians face unique hazards while navigating parking garages. To safely navigate a parking garage, drivers and pedestrians need a certain amount of light to see potential risks. Poor lighting can hinder drivers’ and pedestrians’ visibility, making it impossible to prevent collisions. Insufficient lighting hinders drivers’ and pedestrians’ ability to respond to their surroundings. Therefore, if the lighting system does not work or the light poles are broken, the property owners must fix them within a reasonable timeframe to prevent accidents and injuries.
Alongside poor lighting, a lack of maintenance is another common cause of parking garage accidents. Property owners must regularly maintain their premises as they are responsible for remedying dangerous property conditions threatening their guests. Improperly maintained parking garages are hazardous for drivers and pedestrians as uneven surfaces, defective ramps, and other unsafe property conditions can cause a wide range of accidents.
Generally, parking garages are full of traffic signage that indicates speed limits, loading zones, one-ways, right-of-ways, yields, stops, and handicap parking. These signs, if not executed properly, can create a lot of confusion for drivers. The signage in parking garages is vital in ensuring a safe and smooth traffic flow. If signs are missing, damaged, unclear, or conflicting, it can lead to collisions.
Furthermore, one of the most frequent reasons for parking garage accidents is distracted driving or pedestrian inattention. When you are distracted while driving, your chances of a collision are increased. This risk is even higher in parking garages as they are tight facilities that require extreme caution. You may strike a pedestrian or another vehicle when your focus is diverted from the task. Pedestrians not paying attention to the road because they are texting may not notice a car pulling into or out of a parking space, which can result in devastating injuries.
As you can see, numerous causes of parking garage accidents exist, so drivers and pedestrians must remain alert while navigating these structures. If you’ve been injured in a parking garage accident, contact a determined New York City personal injury attorney from the Law Offices of Brian J. Elbaum, who can help you understand your legal options and can help fight in the pursuit of maximum compensation.
