Children Are At Increased Risk In Parking Lots

Parents regularly take their kids with them to the grocery store and other shops. Not only does this give parents an opportunity to expose children to everyday activities, but it also helps control child care costs.

Every year, approximately 200 children under the age of 14 die in motor vehicle accidents that do not occur on public roadways. Another 5,000 suffer some type of injury. Because your children may not recognize the inherent hazards of walking through a parking lot, you must closely supervise your kids until they reach a safe place.

Backover accidents

Children are shorter than adults, making them more difficult for motorists to see. Even if drivers use backup cameras and look over their shoulders, they may miss children behind their vehicles. A backover accident may leave a child with serious injuries, ranging from broken bones to paralysis or even death.

Head-on collisions

Just as it can be deadly on public roads, distracted driving may be catastrophic in parking lots. If drivers divert their attention, they may drive their vehicles into children. Regrettably, motorists who avoid driving distractions on the highway may mistakenly believe it is acceptable to use a smartphone or program a GPS device in a parking lot.

Parking lot maintenance

While drivers may pose the biggest threat to the safety of children in parking lots, the parking lot itself may also be dangerous. During inclement weather, a child may slip and fall, potentially sustaining a traumatic brain injury or another serious injury. Furthermore, parking lots with lax security may make a child vulnerable to kidnapping, assault or other criminal activities.

Ultimately, both drivers and parking lot owners have a duty to behave reasonably. If someone’s violation of this duty causes a serious injury to your child, you may have a valid legal claim.