If you have been involved in an auto accident on private property, you might be left wondering what to do. Private property accidents are handled differently than accidents on roadways.
The first thing you should do is contact the police. You will need an accident report and you should exchange insurance information and contact details with the other driver and document the scene just as you would with an accident on a public roadway.
While laws might prevent the officer from writing any citations or determining fault, he or she can provide you with the much-needed accident report. Usually, auto insurance carriers require an accident report for any accident claim, including those on private property.
You might even want to contact the owner of the property and tell them that the accident took place on their premises. If the owner has security assigned to patrol the area, you might want to flag them down, so they can also create their own report. If possible, ask them for a copy of the report to share with your auto insurance provider as well.
Liability for the Damages
You might be wondering who is liable for the damages that result from an accident that took place on private property. When an accident occurs on a roadway, one or more drivers would be liable for the damages. An accident on private property though is different.
Both parties to the accident might have fault, and even the owner of the property where the accident happened might have liability. As an example, if the car accident happened in a parking garage because there is poor visibility because of the construction design causing a blind spot or there are narrow lanes when cutting corners, the owner of the garage might have some liability for the damages.
This situation might be exacerbated if the accident happens when one vehicle owner is not at their car or if one of the drivers leaves the scene of the crash. While you might end up filing your claim under your uninsured motorist damage, you might learn that the property owner has a premises liability policy.
Even if the property owner played a minimal role in how the accident played out, they might get caught up in the personal injury claim and be held liable for some of the damages. Failing to get timely medical attention can affect your claim, so if you or a passenger was injured, you need to seek medical care right away.
Consult With a Personal Injury Lawyer
If you have been involved in an accident on private property, you should consult with a personal injury attorney. You can suffer the same damages in a private property accident as you would in an accident on a public roadway.
Personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, so you have nothing to lose. Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form on this page, so your details can be shared with a personal injury lawyer in your area.
