Wreck in a Parking Lot
My car was broad-sided in a high school parking lot by a student who was not paying attention. There are two witnesses and the student admitted it was his fault. However, the police would not come because they said that the wreck did not happen on a public street. Does that fact that this wreck happened in a parking lot affect my rights to seek damages for the injuries I received in the wreck?
Not under Tennessee law. All drivers have the obligation to exercise reasonable care at all times, and that includes the operation of a vehicle in a parking lot.
The fact that a police officer did not appear is not fatal to your case, particularly if there were others present that saw the wreck. I hope you got the names and contact information of these witnesses and, if you did, make sure you hold on to that information. I assume that you also got contract information for the other driver.
You need to report this wreck to your auto insurance company as soon as possible. It is also recommended that you speak with a lawyer before giving a statement to the insurance company - either your company or the other driver's company. Any statement you give can be used against you in a later proceeding.
