Leaving My Car with Valet Parking Resulted in a Total Loss Accident... The Parking Attendant Claims "Sudden Acceleration"

Severe Damage from Parking Lot Accident
Repair Costs Exceed Used Car Value

Recently, there has been controversy as accidents claimed to be caused by sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) have frequently occurred in society. This time, a car entrusted to a parking attendant was severely damaged. The parking attendant who was behind the wheel reportedly claims that the cause of the accident was sudden unintended acceleration.

On the 20th, a video titled "Jeep repair costs exceeded the car's value. The parking attendant claims sudden unintended acceleration" was uploaded on the YouTube channel 'Han Moon-cheol TV.' The car owner, Mr. A, recently left his car at a paid parking lot in front of a restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The vehicle is a 2013 imported SUV, and it was severely damaged due to an unexplained accident that occurred in the parking lot.

Recently, sudden unintended acceleration accidents have been occurring frequently in society, causing controversy. This time, a car entrusted to a parking attendant was severely damaged. The parking attendant behind the wheel is reported to be claiming sudden unintended acceleration. YouTube channel 'Han Moon-cheol TV'

The accident happened while a parking lot staff member was moving Mr. A's car. At the time, Mr. A had parked the car himself in the paid parking lot and handed the car key to the parking lot staff. Due to a shortage of parking spaces, the staff had no choice but to move Mr. A's vehicle and got into the car. Shortly after starting the engine, the vehicle began to move at high speed and crashed into a compact car parked in front.

On the 20th, a video titled "Jeep repair costs exceeded the car's value. The parking attendant claims it was sudden unintended acceleration" was uploaded to the YouTube channel 'Han Moon-cheol TV'. YouTube channel Han Moon-cheol TV

Even after the first impact, the vehicle did not stop and continued straight for about 5 to 10 meters before hitting a structure on the sidewalk and finally coming to a halt. Fortunately, no pedestrians were passing by at the time, so there were no casualties. However, Mr. A expressed frustration, stating that the repair costs for the damaged car exceeded its used car value, putting him in a situation where the car might be declared a total loss. Moreover, the staff member who was driving claims it was a case of sudden unintended acceleration, leading to an expected dispute over the truth. Regarding this accident, lawyer Han Moon-cheol said, "Currently, the only way to determine whether sudden unintended acceleration occurred is through a pedal black box," expressing regret.

Netizens who watched the video responded with comments such as, "Installing pedal black boxes should really be mandatory," "Is it possible for sudden unintended acceleration accidents to happen this frequently these days?" and "Sudden unintended acceleration accidents are so frequent now that we can't even tell if it's really sudden unintended acceleration anymore."

Meanwhile, accidents claimed to be caused by sudden unintended acceleration have been occurring frequently recently. In response, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that amendments to the Automobile Management Act and the Automobile Damage Compensation Guarantee Act were passed at the National Assembly plenary session on the 14th. The amendment to the Automobile Management Act includes measures to distribute accident data extraction devices to the private sector to extract recorded information from event data recorders (EDR). An event data recorder is a device or function that stores vehicle operation information for a certain period before and after a car accident (such as a collision) and allows the stored information to be reviewed. First, the amendment imposes an obligation on automobile manufacturers to distribute and sell accident data extraction devices.

Currently, some automobile manufacturers do not distribute or sell accident data extraction devices on the market, so accident data could only be obtained through the manufacturers. With this amendment, anyone will be able to purchase accident data extraction devices and extract accident records. Additionally, providing false information recorded in the event data recorder is prohibited, and violations are punishable by imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won. The amendment to the Automobile Management Act is scheduled to take effect one year after its promulgation. The amendment to the Automobile Damage Compensation Guarantee Act mainly aims to alleviate public anxiety related to recent suspected sudden unintended acceleration accidents. It adds recording devices for accident cause identification as a type of device that can be recommended for automobile insurance premium discounts. The amendment to the Automobile Damage Compensation Guarantee Act is scheduled to take effect six months after its promulgation.