# Can I have a claim after a parking lot crash?

Canonical: https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/parking-lot-crash/

Reviewed by Andrew (Andy) R. Gillin; publisher reported approval on 2026-11-04. Original review date was not supplied.

## Short answer

An injury in a parking lot can lead to a claim. Drivers must use care around cars and people on foot. You need to show what went wrong.

## Hypothetical example

A driver backs out of a space without checking. They hit a person walking behind the car.

## How the rule works

A parking lot brings cars and people close together. Reasonable care depends on that setting. The review may focus on backing, turning, sight lines, and the chance to avoid a collision.

## What can change the answer

Signs, light, and what each person could see may matter. The actions of both the driver and the person on foot count.

## A useful next step

Take photos of the lot. Ask nearby shops to keep any video before it is erased.

## Court decisions behind this answer

### Cabral v. Ralphs Grocery Co. (2011)

51 Cal.4th 764, slip op., pp. 1–3. The court rejected a broad no-duty rule for a truck stopped beside a freeway. Drivers still had to use ordinary care.

Limit: It did not hold that every roadside stop is careless. The facts matter when deciding breach and cause.

Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/2011/s178799/

## Sources

- [California Civil Code § 1714 — Responsibility for harm](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1714.)
- [CACI No. 400–401 — Negligence and the standard of care (2026 edition)](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/judicial_council_of_california_civil_jury_instructions_2026.pdf)
- [Cabral v. Ralphs Grocery Co. (2011) 51 Cal.4th 764](https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/2011/s178799/)

General information, not legal advice.