Who is to blame for your slip and fall in a parking lot?

Parking lots can be extremely hazardous. Not only do you have to worry about pedestrians and drivers too busy looking for a spot instead of people, but parking lots are also a prime place for slip and fall accidents. Especially at this time of the year. With snow and ice slowly melting away during the day and the pavement freezing at night, the surface of a parking lot is very slick. And if you’re not careful, you could be severely injured.

Let’s say you were heading to Shop Rite to pick up a few items. As you get out of your car, you don’t realize just how slippery the parking lot is. A couple of steps from your car and you slip, severely injuring your ankle. What now? Who is responsible?

Yes, it’s true that since the owners of the parking lot is responsible for your safety, they are responsible for your injuries. But who owns the parking lot? It’s not as cut and dry as your neighbor’s stairs or the entrance to the store. In most cases, the person or entity that owns the store’s property also owns the parking lot. It’s all the same property. So they must be responsible, right? Well, yes and no. In this case, since the store’s owners are renting space from the property owners, they can be just as responsible for your slip and fall injuries as the property owners.

Now let’s change the scenario: What is the slip and fall accident occurred in a public garage or parking lot that’s owned by the city? Who then is responsible? This would be a case of the municipality government being responsible of your accident.

If you have a slip and fall accident in a parking lot in Jersey City, don’t delay! Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone today for a free consultation.

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