In United States, people will sue each other over anything nowadays. In states that are more liberal like California, lawsuits are prevalent. However, lawsuits will arise anywhere and over anything that causes a person bodily harm like an injury from bad asphalt or concrete paving. There are documented cases across the United States of people suing companies over injuries caused by damaged parking lots.
In 2010, in Glen Carbon, Illinois, a woman was injured when she tripped on a pothole at a national retail chain establishment. The injured woman sued the retail corporation for over $100,000 because she suffered physical and mental suffering. The premise of the legal complaint was that the store acted negligently by failing to alert customers to the presence of the pothole in the parking lot ¹.
Another recorded case is in Dickinson, Texas where a woman was injured at a parking lot of a local business in 2010. The circumstances behind the injury were similar as the first mentioned case. The Texas woman injured herself on a defective parking lot. The woman sued the local business for $10,000 ².
Not maintaining a parking lot is expensive. Maintaining a “functional” parking lot by giving it proper maintenance is less expensive than letting a parking lot fail and have it replaced. Additionally, the hidden costs of having a damaged parking lot are greater. The most obvious cost is people suing a business over injuries suffered from a damaged parking lot. The greater cost for a company is having a bad reputation due to a failed parking lot.
A “functional” parking lot that will keep everyone safe is not hard to achieve. Many solutions are available to have asphalt or concrete parking lots that will keep everyone safe and happy. A relationship should be established with a paving contractor to maintain a safe and cost-effective parking lot. A reputable asphalt and concrete paving company that will help their clients establish a maintenance plan for their parking lots is essential.
References:
1. Wal-Mart sued over customer’s parking lot fall. The Madison-St.Clair Record. May 31, 2013.
2. Fall in Dickinson parking lot leads to lawsuit. The Southeast Texas Record. May 31, 2013.
