Irvine Spectrum Parking Structure Accident Leaves Elderly Man Dead
An 88-year-old man died after his car rolled while he was trying to pay to exit the parking structure near a popular shopping center – the Irvine Spectrum Center, located at 670 Spectrum Center Drive in Irvine, California. The victim was identified as Robert Ray Bell of Laguna Woods.
According to reports, Bell was approaching the exit of the parking structure (located at 100 Spectrum Center Drive) at about 3:30pm on Thursday, January 2, 2025. He stopped his vehicle to pay, but it appeared that Bell did not place his vehicle – a Mazda SUV – into the park gear before he exited the car to pay for parking at the machine.
The vehicle began to move forward. Then, the opened driver’s side door made contact with the parking equipment and closed on the victim. According to police, he was unable to free himself and was trapped.
Reportedly, a good Samaritan attempted to help the man until the authorities arrived. Bell was transported to a local hospital where he later died.
There are no additional details surrounding the accident.
Downtown L.A. Law Group –If the victim was a member of your family, you might have grounds to file a lawsuit for wrongful death. For more information about the legal options available to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible. Our expert legal team is more than ready to evaluate your claim and provide you with the guidance that you need to pursue your claim and get justice.

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In general, when individuals drive into parking structures, they must push a button on the kiosk to get a ticket to enter. This ticket is used to exit – without it, the parking gate arms will not open. Depending on the location, the parking ticket can be validated in the shops, paid for at a booth where guests can walk up before going to their vehicles, or paid for at the exit booth as guests are driving out of the structure. The exit booths are designed to be able to be accessed through the driver seat window – guests do not need to get out of their vehicles to use the booth.
Possible Issues with Parking Structure Ticket Exit BoothsIn general, there are a few different possible issues with the ticket exit booths in parking structures. For example, they could be poorly designed, making them difficult to use. Specifically, the screen may be too small or poorly lit, resulting in guests – especially, elderly guests – having trouble seeing screens to complete their transaction, resulting in them exiting their vehicle to get a closer look. Similarly, the machine may be placed too far back, making it unreachable to guests in their cars, forcing in guests having no choice but to exit their vehicle. In addition, the design or layout of the parking structure may force drivers to make wide turns which leave them too far from the machine, with no space to straighten out their vehicle.
If the issues with the ticket booths ultimately lead to a guest exiting their vehicle and sustaining injuries, then the owner/operator of the parking structure could have at least some liability.
Parking Structure Incident Liability – if the incident occurred as a result of the negligence of the owner or operator of the parking structure (even if it is just partially), the owner or operator of the structure could be liable and could be sued. This is based on premise liability, which states that property owners/operators have a duty to ensure that the premises remains safe of any hazardous conditions.
Can Auto Manufacturers Be Liable?Yes, if an investigation finds that the driver did shift the vehicle to park but the vehicle still rolled, the auto manufacturer could potentially be liable – especially if the issue was caused by a defect. Similarly, the auto manufacturer could be liable if the vehicle’s emergency braking system failed to detect the hazard and bring the vehicle to a stop.
Driver Error Resulting in IncidentsIn the incident above, the authorities claimed that it appeared that the victim did not shift the vehicle to park before exiting, resulting in the vehicle rolling away. Based on preliminary information, it seems like the incident occurred only because the victim failed to put the vehicle in park.
Some examples of driver errors that could lead to incidents in parking structures could include the following:
- Not putting the vehicle in park before exiting
- Speeding
- Not adhering to posted signage/warnings
- Trying to exit by following the previous car
- And more
Yes, you could have grounds to file a wrongful death lawsuit. As discussed above, you could potentially have grounds to file a lawsuit against the owner/operator of the parking structure as well as the auto manufacturer, based on the details surrounding the incident. For more information about the legal options available to you and your right to sue, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible. Our lawyers are ready to guide you every step of the way.
What Compensation is Available for Recovery?Every claim is different. Ultimately, case value is based on the facts surrounding each incident. In general, some of the different categories of compensation available for recovery could include the following:
- All medical costs
- Lost income or loss of support
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Punitive damages
- Legal expenses
All claims are subject to a statute of limitations or a deadline to sue. If claimants do not file their claims on time, they can lose their right to sue entirely. In California, wrongful death claims are generally subject to a two-year statute of limitations; this means that claimants will only have two years to file their claims. Of course, there are some exceptions that may apply which could pause the deadline to file. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the total length of time that you have to sue, contact us today.
Contact the Downtown L.A. Law Group TodayThis horrible accident is a reminder that fatal incidents can happen at any time. This elderly man was probably on his way home after some shopping at the Irvine Spectrum Center. He likely never thought that such a horrible accident would occur while he was simply trying to pay for parking.
We understand how difficult it can be for victims and their families to seek legal help after such a traumatic accident. However, our team has decades of experience and is ready to help you fight for your rights after the wrongful death of a loved one. If you are ready to discuss your legal options with the experts here at our law firm, contact us today. We offer free case evaluations, including free consultations and free second opinions. If you are ready to schedule a free case review, contact us today.
Zero-Fee Guarantee: you will not have to pay any upfront legal costs for any of our legal services. In addition, our firm works on contingency, meaning that you will not have to pay anything if your lawsuit is unsuccessful. If you do not win, you will simply not pay anything.
Contact our parking structure accident lawsuit lawyers to learn more about how we can help you with your case.
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