What Should You Do After a Dooring Accident?

A dooring accident happens when a driver or passenger opens a vehicle door into the path of a pedestrian, bicyclist, or other road user. These accidents can happen quickly and result in serious injuries.

In this post, we’ll discuss how dooring accidents happen, who may be responsible under Washington State law, and steps you should take after an accident. This blog post is intended to provide general information only and shouldn’t be taken as legal advice about your case. Feel free to reach out to our office if you need assistance.

How Do Dooring Accidents Happen?

Here’s how a dooring accident typically happens:

A vehicle is parallel parked or stopped alongside a roadway.
The driver or passenger opens the vehicle door, usually without looking first.
The bicyclist or pedestrian has little time to react and collides with the open door.

In many cases, dooring accidents could be prevented if the person opening the door takes a moment to check their surroundings first.

The situations where this can happen are surprisingly common. Consider these typical scenarios:

A driver parks alongside a bike lane and opens the driver’s door.
Someone leaves a door open while loading or unloading packages.
A parent stops their car temporarily to let their child out for school and opens the door, striking another student.
A car is disabled on the shoulder, and the driver exits the car into traffic.

These are just a few scenarios where an open car door can suddenly become a hazard. Anywhere there is a potential for shared road use, including parking lots, shoulders, and roadways, dooring accidents can happen.

Common Injuries in Dooring Accidents

As with any traffic-related accident, injuries can range widely. Sometimes, an injured person can walk away with a few scrapes and bruises. But other injuries can be severe and require emergency medical attention.

Common injuries include:

Broken bones and fractures
Head and facial injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Road rash and other skin injuries
Soft-tissue injuries
Back and spinal injuries
Injuries caused by a secondary collision or fall

Bicyclists are particularly at risk in dooring accidents. If a bicyclist is thrown from their bike, they may land in the roadway or be struck by another vehicle. Some dooring accidents can result in life-threatening or even fatal injuries.

Who Is Responsible for a Dooring Accident?

Washington State law specifically addresses the opening and closing of vehicle doors. In short, a person can’t open a vehicle door on the side next to moving traffic unless it’s reasonably safe to do so and the door can be opened without interfering with other traffic (RCW 46.61.620).

In other words, this isn’t just about being careful. Washington has an actual traffic law addressing the opening of vehicle doors.

It’s also important to note that the law says “no person,” which means the person who opened the door may be important when determining who was at fault. Let’s look at some potential scenarios.

What If the Driver Opened the Door?

If the driver opens the door and causes a crash, the driver may be found responsible for the resulting injuries and damages. Determining fault will typically involve looking at the specific circumstances and available evidence.

What If a Passenger Opened the Door?

The driver isn’t necessarily the only person who could be at fault.

Imagine that a driver has an unrelated passenger in their vehicle. Even if the driver is careful, the passenger could open the door into traffic and injure a pedestrian or bicyclist. In that situation, the passenger’s actions matter when determining who is responsible for the accident.

What If the Bicyclist or Pedestrian Was Partially at Fault?

While the person opening the door is often to blame in dooring accidents, it’s possible that a bicyclist or pedestrian’s actions might have contributed to the crash. For instance, maybe the bicyclist ran a red light or was distracted.

In Washington, you may still be able to recover compensation even if you were partly responsible for the accident. However, your compensation could be reduced based on how much of the fault is assigned to you.

The key thing to take away is that fault isn’t always all-or-nothing.

What Should You Do if You’ve Been Hurt in a Dooring Accident?

If you’ve been hurt in a dooring accident, here are a few immediate steps you should take:

Get to a safe location if possible. Avoid staying in a position where you could be struck a second time.
Call 911 and seek medical attention when necessary. If you have serious injuries or the accident is creating a dangerous situation in traffic, call 911.
Exchange contact and insurance information. Get information from those involved, particularly the person who opened the door. If there are witnesses, ask for their contact information as well.
Take photographs of the scene. Try to get photos of the open door and vehicle, your bicycle if applicable, visible injuries, the roadway or bike lane, and any visible signs, markings, or road conditions.
Preserve your bicycle and other evidence. While it can be tempting to repair your bicycle right away, it may be a good idea to preserve it in its current condition, along with your helmet and clothing, if you decide to pursue compensation.
Follow up with medical care. Even if injuries seem minor, getting medical care can help you recover and identify injuries that might not be immediately apparent.
Identify potential video evidence. A nearby business, home, traffic camera, or other source may have footage of what happened.

Some evidence, such as video surveillance and witness information, can be harder to secure as time goes on. However, remember that your health matters most. If your injuries are severe, prioritize getting medical attention.

When Should You Talk to a Personal Injury Lawyer

Not every dooring accident requires legal help. But there are a few instances when involving an experienced injury attorney can be really helpful, for instance:

Injuries are serious or require significant medical treatment
Fault is disputed
Multiple people or vehicles may be involved
An insurance company disputes the claim
The accident resulted in significant time away from work or other losses

In these situations, a personal injury lawyer can help investigate what happened, determine what insurance coverage might apply, and advocate for compensation for your injuries, pain, and suffering.

Get a Free Case Evaluation

The lawyers at Ladenburg Law always offer free, no-obligation case evaluations. This means you can reach out to us even if you’re not sure if a lawyer can help. If we choose to work together, we’ll only collect a fee if we’re able to secure compensation for you.

To get started, call 253.272.5226 or fill out the short form on our website.