With warmer temperatures comes a return to outdoor exercise and human-propelled transportation across Illinois. With more pedestrians and cyclists on the road, the risk of devastating collisions increases as well.
Most serious collisions involve two or more moving vehicles, but there are some types of collisions that may only involve one moving vehicle. A dooring incident is a perfect example of a collision that involves one moving vehicle. A cyclist hits the open door of a parked vehicle, leading to potentially catastrophic injuries.
Who is responsible for the financial aftermath of a dooring incident?
Vehicle occupants are likely liable
State traffic statutes regulate behaviors that are likely to cause injuries. Cyclists generally need to stay to the right and to follow all of the same traffic rules as other vehicles. Their obligation to ride on the right side of the road or in designated bike lanes may expose them to the risk of dooring incidents when people open the doors to their vehicles without checking their surroundings first.
State law requires that vehicle occupants check their surroundings before opening the left-hand doors of a vehicle into traffic. Cyclists may not be able to stop or slow down without hitting the open vehicle door. The person who opened the vehicle door might be liable for the harm caused by the dooring incident that occurs.
Injured people can potentially request compensation for medical expenses, property damage losses and lost wages after preventable doorings. Reviewing the circumstances of a cycling collision with a skilled legal team can help injured cyclists understand their rights and hold appropriate parties accountable for harm.