Q: I was walking in the parking lot and got hit by a car, can I sue the car manufacturer?
A: basically you can sue anyone you want but to sue and be successful is another thing. in your situation it depends on the facts of what happened. many years ago there was a defect in the ford park system and occassionally the gear would shift out of park into reverse. we had a clientin indiana that was walking between cars and got hurt. however if there is not a real defect the answer to your question is no. you need to consult a washington lawyer but i can tell you that lawsuits against car manufacturers are a very uphill battle and most lawyers won't do them unless there is a very serious injury or death involved. these cases are very costly and time consuming. good luck.
A: We wouldn't recommend it unless there was some defect in the car that caused it to hit you, say for example a design flaw which caused it to have an unintended acceleration. A better bet might be to file a lawsuit against the person driving the car that hit if they were negligently operating the vehicle, say for example if they were speeding. Or, the parking lot owner if the parking lot was not designed correctly, was not properly lit or had some other design defect which contributed to the accident.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
