Who is at fault in a parking lot accident?

• Florida bars backing when the maneuver cannot be made safely or would interfere with traffic.
• California requires a vehicle entering from private property to yield to approaching traffic.
• Parking-lot vehicles already traveling through an aisle generally have priority over cars backing out.

• California’s rule also requires approaching drivers to yield after the entering vehicle has yielded and proceeds safely.
• Florida apportions negligence according to each party’s percentage of fault.
• A driver’s backing status creates a duty but does not by itself establish automatic or exclusive liability.

Backing drivers are commonly primarily at fault when they enter an occupied aisle without ensuring it is clear. The word “always” is too broad because right-of-way can change and comparative-fault rules can assign responsibility to both drivers.