If you pay attention to the news, it is not uncommon to read or see stories where a car leaves the road and crashes into a building — causing serious injuries to occupants or customers. Recent incidents in the area include cars leaving the roadway or crashing into homes in St. Louis County. In today’s blog, we explore what happens when a car crashes into a building and how we can help you move forward after a serious injury.
Filing a Claim for Your Injury
When someone crashes into a building or a house, the injured party can file a claim or lawsuit for personal injuries and general negligence principles apply to the case. If you are injured in such a situation, you may have a claim against the negligent party similar to if you were struck on the road while in your own car.
If you are struck inside a building or house while on the job, you might also have a workers’ compensation claim.
Filing a Claim Against a Property Owner
When vehicles crash into businesses and cause injuries, there may also be a claim against the property owner or business for not having adequate protection near the property to protect customers. Retail stores and restaurants are among the most frequent locations for cars to crash into buildings.
This is often because drivers confuse their gas pedals for their brakes and crash into buildings or seating areas outside of buildings. If a property owner or landlord is aware of prior crashes at their property, they should take steps to protect their customers. A recent example of such a situation occurred in St. Louis where a death and injuries occurred after a car crashed into a Starbucks store.
How to Prevent Cars Crashing into Buildings
Injuries caused by cars crashing into buildings can often be prevented by the use of protective devices such as bollards. These devices are vertical columns that protect the areas in front of stores by physical guarding.
You may have seen a bollard and not known what you were seeing. In front of Target stores, there are often giant red concrete balls which are for much more than aesthetic purposes – they protect customers from dangerous traffic.
Helping Those Injured from Cars Crashing into Buildings
When a car crashes into a building, it may leave serious catastrophic injuries in its wake. The attorneys at MHM are experienced in cases where vehicles crash into buildings or homes. If you or a loved one are involved in such a situation, please contact us.