Motorcycle Accidents in Parking Lots

Parking Lots Are Dangerous For Motorcycles

We have represented too many motorcyclists who were injured in motorcycle accidents in parking lots on Long Island when hit by a car racing through the parking lot, backing out of a parking space, or pulling into a parking space. This is just one more area where you have to be vigilant.

It’s not surprising that 20% of accidents occur in a parking lot when looking at the statistics of what drivers are doing while driving in a parking lot.

According to the National Safety Council, 2/3 of drivers are distracted while looking for a parking spot.

Too many people use cell phones on the road, but the statistics in parking lots are beyond imagination. Be really careful next time you’re on a motorcycle in a parking lot.

Things drivers feel comfortable doing while driving in a parking lot

• 66% of drivers feel comfortable making phone calls;
• 56% of drivers feel comfortable texting;
• 50% feel comfortable sending emails or watching videos;
• 42% feel comfortable video chatting; and
• None of these drivers will see your motorcycle!

The reason is that drivers are comfortable not paying attention while driving at slow speeds in parking lots.

Accidents caused by distraction and inattention are responsible for 60,000 injuries and more than 500 deaths in parking lots annually.

Other causes of parking lot accidents

• Drivers looking for vacant spots rather than watching for pedestrians and motorcycles;
• Drivers rushing to get a parking space; and
• Parking lot rage. Drivers in crowded parking lots often experience road rage, causing them to race around without paying attention.

Unfortunately, every area of the parking lot is dangerous for motorcycles. We have represented motorcyclists passing parking lot entrances/exits who were hit by cars making a left turn into parking lot entrances or coming out of parking lot exits.

Other dangerous areas include the lanes within the parking lot when cars are backing out of a parking spot and the end of lanes where cars turn.

We even represented a motorcyclist who was sitting on a parked motorcycle with the engine off in a parking lot space when a car drove right into him!

Motorcycle Accidents in Parking Lots Without a Police Report

Police officers may not always write a police report when there is a motorcycle accident in a parking lot. Some parking lots are private where the police do not have jurisdiction, but police have jurisdiction in many larger parking lots.

If there is no police report for your motorcycle accident, you can still have a lawsuit to be compensated for your injury.

If possible, take a photo of the car’s license plate and driver’s license. If a witness got the car’s license plate, that’s also good.

If you don’t have a police report for your motorcycle accident and no one got the car’s license plate or driver’s license, you can still have an uninsured claim to be compensated for your injury.

Read about cars backing out of a driveway