There is no doubt that Thelma Wagenhoffer bears a large responsibility for the damage and the injuries that resulted when she crashed her car through the doors of Publix in Palm Coast last month. One of the victims, Lupo Hernandez, 82, was pinned under her car in the accident and continues to recuperate from the injuries. Despite that fact that Wagenhoffer was charged with careless driving, however, a Palm Coast attorney who is representing two of the injury victims says that a third party was also at fault: the Publix store in Palm Coast.
According to the attorney, most Publix stores throughout the region have protective pillars that serve as barriers in front of their main doors. Though not required by state or Palm Coast building codes, the pillars do serve to guard the entrances to Publix stores and would have minimized the seriousness of the car accident, the attorney argues. If the cases are not settled out of court with a Palm Coast car accident attorney, it could be up to a jury to decide whether it is reasonable to expect that the store would have installed barriers to protect customers from such a car accident.
An attorney for the store has said that because there is no legal or code requirement for the barriers, even the city and state do not deem it necessary or as a part of common protection. According to the attorney, although it is reasonable for the store to have such a defense (hence the stores that provide barriers in the event of a car accident), it is also reasonable not to, which is why two of the five stores in the area did not have them prior to this car accident.
Regardless of how the Publix case ends up being resolved, it is illustrative of something that is important whenever anyone is in a car accident, which is that there may be multiple parties who are responsible. This is why consulting with a Palm Coast car accident attorney immediately following an accident is so important. A Palm Coast car accident attorney has the knowledge and expertise to be able to determine if third parties could be responsible, as well. If there are other parties to be held accountable, the attorney can make sure that you are compensated from all available sources and not just from the individual in the accident.
If you have been injured in a car accident, contact a Palm Coast car accident attorney to discuss your case and all of the possible parties involved. Your attorney will work to protect you and your rights and to pursue the remuneration that you deserve.
