Collecting Damages For Parking Garage Injuries in Minnesota

Parking garages and parking ramps can be chaotic places, especially if you’re not familiar with the flow of traffic. If you’ve ever traveled to the Mall of America or parked downtown for a Twins or Timberwolves game, you’ve probably parked in one of these ramps and know that they aren’t always that easy to navigate. Not surprisingly, we get a few calls each year about individuals who have been injured or involved in a car accident in a parking garage. But who is liable for your injuries, and how can you go about collecting compensation? We explain in today’s blog.

Parking Garage Liability in Minnesota

When it comes to collecting damages for injuries suffered in a parking garage, you have to prove two things – that injuries occurred and that another party contributed to the injuries. In most cases, the person who struck you or your car will have some liability, but there’s also the possibility that the company who maintains the garage could be at fault.

The company who owns the parking center has an onus to protect anyone who steps on their property, so if they do not provide a reasonable level of care, they can be held liable if an injury occurs. For example, if crumbling concrete strikes a pedestrian on the head, if burnt out light bulbs made it difficult to see, or if traffic direction signs weren’t appropriately posted and they contributed to an accident, the owner of the parking structure could be held partially responsible.

Whether you’re going after the property owner or another individual who was involved in your accident, you’re going to need to make a strong case about their fault and contributory liability towards your injuries. There are a number of ways to strengthen your claims, including:

Video from the parking garage
Dash cam recordings
Photographs of the accident or injuries
Witness statements
Police reports
Medical records
Structural maintenance reports

If you suffered an injury in a parking structure in Minnesota, you can collect a number of different types of damages. You can collect compensation for lost wages, lost future earnings capacity, current and future medical bills, property damage, necessary alternative transportation, home and vehicle modifications to accommodate disabilities and mental injuries like pain and suffering or mental anguish. Talk to a lawyer about everything in your life that has been affected by your injuries so you can get the compensation award you rightfully deserve.

Regardless of whether you’re going after an individual or the property owner, their insurance company is going to try to end the case quickly and quietly. Don’t jump at their first settlement offer without first consulting with an experienced injury lawyer. Odds are they are calculating many factors on the low end, and oftentimes a lawyer can pay for themselves many times over by helping you collect an award amount that is a better representation of the true scope of your injuries. At Margolis Law Firm, we’ve helped a number of clients get the injury award they deserve, and we can do the same for you. For more information or to set up a meeting with a lawyer to talk about your case, reach out to Dean Margolis and his experienced team at Margolis Law Firm today.