Like all grocery stores, Publix provides shopping carts for the convenience of their customers. Just because they are parked outside the store or in a coral in the parking lot it does not mean they can be neglected. Every year, thousands of dollars worth of damage is done to cars caused by shopping carts that are not monitored well by Publix, or any other grocery store.
As with all areas open to the public the company which owns the area is required to keep it safe for the public to use and to ensure accidents and damage to property does not take place. If your parked car has been damaged by a shopping cart you may be able to file a PI claim to include the cost of the damage to your car.
Causes of Shopping Cart Accidents
Shopping cart collisions with parked cars in a grocery store parking lot are not accidents, as they typically take place due to someone’s negligence. There is little doubt that shopping carts hitting parked cars is due to negligence. The causes could be one or more of the following:
- The parking corral for shopping carts has been allowed to overflow, so shopping carts move around the parking lot damaging cars;
- A employee did not pay sufficient attention when relocating a group of shopping carts to the store entrance and some got loose and hit parked cars which they damaged;
- A customer abandons a shopping cart after filling his/her car with goods so that it hits nearby cars and damages them.
Types of Damage That Can Happen to You from a Shopping Cart Accident
A car owner’s biggest dread is returning to their car parked in a parking lot and finding a shopping cart lying alongside leaving deep scratches and dents which will cost thousands of dollars to repair. Other damage would depend if the accident was a rear- ender, a head on collision or a side swipe. All these sorts of collisions will cause at least severe scratches and dents as well as possible damage to lights and bumpers.
We all know how much it costs to fix just minor damage, let alone that which requires panel beating and paint re-spray to restore the car to its original state, a lot of money. It might be an amount we simply could not afford and the only way we could get the damaged fixed is by filing a PI compensation claim against the person or organization which caused the damage in the first place.
Why You Need a PI Attorney and What He or She Can Do to Help You
To ensure you get the cash settlement you deserve it is advisable to discuss your case with a PI attorney first. An attorney knows how to prove negligence by providing sufficient proof that leaves no doubt in the mind of the at-fault person’s insurer.
Additional Resources
*The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Publix, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
