Riding a bicycle can be a dangerous event in and of itself based on street defects, weather, road rage drivers, drafting too close behind our friends, etc. It can be even more dangerous for the accidental opening of a door in urban areas. Bicycle accidents involving a the inattentive opening of a vehicle door are on the rise. These sorts of accidents continue to be one of the mane causes of bicycle accidents, crashes, and wrecks in the more urban areas of Arizona and Utah – particularly in Phoenix Arizona and Slat Lake City Utah.
A cyclist is “doored” when a person opens a car door into the path of a bicyclist causing injury. The injury sustained by the cyclist is recoverable even if the injury resulted without any direct contact of the door – for example, the cyclist sees the door opening and swerves to avoid crashing into the door but is injured in the evasive maneuver and crashes instead into a light pole, curb, other vehicle, etc. The individual that opens the car door into the path of a bicyclist is liable for any injury that the cyclist incurs as a result. This includes past and future medical bills, past and future wage loss, scarring, deformity, and non-economic damages such as past and future pain and suffering and loss of a normal life.
Dooring cases can be tricky, especially if there is no contact with the door. You will need an experienced bike accident attorney to handle such a case. Our office continues to see numerous cases where a cyclist was “doored.” Dooring cases can cause serious injuries including rotator cuff tears, broken arms, knee tears, and ankle fractures. If you have been injured as a result of “dooring,” accident in Arizona or Utah, contact one of our qualified lawyers at Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC for a free consultation. You can us any day at any time (365/yr & 24/7).
-Ben Dodge