Parking lots and parking garages in Delaware and elsewhere are dangerous areas where predators sometimes attack unsuspecting pedestrians. These criminals often use parked vehicles as hiding spots. To avoid being a victim of these circumstances, it pays to be alert to the following:
- Avoid distractions like cellphones and ear pods.
- Scan the surrounding area while walking in a parking garage or parking lot.
- Have pepper spray visibly ready to use.
- A personal security alarm like a screamer or noisemaker can provide extra protection.
- The security button on the car keys can be used if the vehicle is nearby.
Safety in parking garages is easier to achieve by not walking alone. Being alone creates opportunities for predators to isolate a person, and walking in open areas instead of close to parked vehicles can also deter assaults.
Predators target the following:
- Anyone who seems absent-minded, timid, lost, intoxicated or even friendly.
- An individual who is not alert and unaware of being followed.
- Someone unaware of the surroundings, who wears earphones or is distracted by a cellphone while walking.
- Anyone who has both hands occupied with shopping bags and/or small children.
- People who park next to a large van or pickup truck that hides them from others.
Anyone in Delaware who falls victim to a predator in a parking lot or parking garage might have grounds to pursue a premises liability lawsuit. Property owners must protect the safety of people using their parking facilities. Victims can document financial and emotional damages for a civil court claim against the property owner and/or the party responsible for maintaining it. If the case is presented successfully, a monetary judgment could be entered against the defendant.