Shopping carts are the normal way for customers to transport their shopping from a a store's exit to their parked cars in the parking lot. It encourages shoppers to use stores that offer this service as it means heavy bags do not need to be dragged to the shoppers’ cars. Shopping carts come in different sizes and they are not always in good condition making some more difficult to park than others.
Sometimes a store will employ staff to monitor the use of shopping carts and ensure they do not damage shopper’s cars. Sometimes the customers are to blame and do not park their shopping carts in the designated place in the parking lot so that they cause damage to shoppers’ cars. When this happens, someone is negligent, so the person whose car has been damaged may be able to file a damages claim from the person who behaved negligently.
Causes of Shopping Cart Accidents
Shopping cart accidents could be caused in a number of ways including:
- the employee failing to park a shopping cart properly so it runs out of control;
- an employee is trying to re-locate shopping carts from the parking lot to the store entrance and s/he loses control;
- shopping carts build up in a parking lot, becoming hazards to parked cars;
- a customer does not pay sufficient attention to parking a shopping cart and it runs out of control.
These causes of shopping cart accidents show that someone is to blame when a car is damaged by a runaway or poorly parked shopping cart in a parking lot and provides good grounds for the damaged car owner to file damages claim against the person who allowed the damage to take place.
Types of Damages That Can Happen to You from a Shopping Cart Accident
A car is unlikely to be totaled by a runaway shopping cart but if the parking lot is on a slope a shopping cart could inflict some quite serious damage to a parked car if it is out of control. The sorts of damage could include:
- deep scratches to the paintwork front and rear depending on where and how fast the shopping cart hit;
- damage to front and rear bumpers;
- deep scratches and dents to the side of the car if the shopping cart side swipes it.
These days, any sort of surface damage to a car can cost thousands of damage to repair so that the car looks as good as new. A panel beater may need to fix any dents while a painter may be required to fix scratches to the paintwork.
As soon as you realize how much it is going to cost you to restore your car to the condition it was before the shopping cart damaged it you will in your rights to file a claim for compensation from the person responsible for the damage caused by the runaway shopping cart. You should be able to file a damages claim but you may need help from a PI attorney to get the amount you deserve.
Why You Need a PI Attorney and What He or She Can Do to Help You.
It is never easy to win a just settlement for damage done to your car by a shopping cart. In order to make sure you get the settlement you deserve you will need help from a PI attorney. A PI attorney knows what is required to convince the insurer that its company has been negligent by not paying enough attention to your car’s safety in a parking lot. The PI attorney will make sure that there is sufficient evidence to present to the insurer such as photos, eye witness’s reports and a repair bill for the damage from a car repairer.
*The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Target, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
