Many bicycling collisions involve drivers failing to monitor their surroundings or yield the right of way and hitting a cyclist. Occasionally, bicycling collisions involve cyclists who may not be able to stop before striking something in their path.
Specifically, cyclists are constantly at risk of dooring incidents. When vehicle occupants open the doors on the left side of the vehicle, they may block approaching traffic, increasing the risk of a crash. If there is a bicycle nearby, the cyclist could end up seriously injured by striking the door or thrown into traffic.
Who is liable in cases where an open door causes a devastating cycling crash?
Vehicle occupants should be aware of their surroundings
People might assume that a cyclist is to blame for dooring incidents, but they likely have no way to stop or maneuver when someone opens a door right in front of them. Proper safety in traffic requires constant surveillance, even when entering or exiting a vehicle.
The failure to check the surroundings before opening a car door is a form of negligence that might lead to liability. If vehicle occupants open a door into oncoming traffic and a cyclist gets hurt, their failure to check for approaching traffic is an unsafe behavior that most adults recognize as potentially dangerous. Cyclists injured due to a dooring may be able to file an insurance claim or possibly a personal injury lawsuit against the person who opened their vehicle door into traffic.
Reviewing the circumstances of a bicycle crash with a skilled legal team, such as a dooring on a busy road, can help cyclists or their family members understand their legal options. Personal injury litigation and insurance claims are often both effective means of addressing cycling crash expenses if people in vehicles are at fault due to illegal actions or negligence.