Injured in a dooring accident?

Are you or a loved one among the many Connecticut residents whose primary form of transportation or exercise is biking? Did you or your loved one recently suffer injuries in a car versus bicycle accident? Was that accident the result of a dooring?

A dooring occurs when a driver in a parked vehicle opens his or her door into the path of an oncoming cyclist. The cyclist strikes the door, flies off his or her bike, and then crashes to the ground. Many dooring victims survive and are left recovering from a variety of injuries, but sometimes the injuries suffered are extremely severe, and the victims fail to survive.

Preventable

Dooring accidents are highly preventable. All it takes is the driver looking in all directions before opening the car door and exiting his or her vehicle. Yet, such a simple thing is something many drivers fail to do. Failing to look for cyclists before exiting a car commonly falls into the category of negligence. For this reason, the law may hold the driver liable for the victim’s losses. However, it is not uncommon for drivers to attempt to escape liability by trying to blame their victims.

Difficult to avoid

Bicyclists can travel pretty fast. When someone opens a car door right in front of them, they usually do not have time to react. Hitting the door or swerving to attempt to avoid it are their only options. Sadly, those who try to swerve often end up hit by vehicles passing on their left. Because of this, some say cyclists should avoid swerving and just take the hit, as scary as it is to do so.

After a dooring accident

After a dooring accident, the victim would be wise to call the police — if he or she is in the physical condition to do so. If not, hopefully, the driver or witnesses to the event do the right thing and report the collision. Just like an automobile accident, the victim or law enforcement authorities will need to gather as much information about the incident as possible, including:

• Driver’s name and contact information
• Witness contact information
• Insurance information
• Details of the event

All of this information can help the victim seek compensation down the road. Seeking medical attention right away is also strongly recommended. Some victims may need emergency transportation for treatment directly from the accident scene, while others may refuse immediate care. The sooner one seeks treatment, the better, even if the injuries may not seem that severe right away.

Seek relief

If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a dooring accident or if you lost a loved one in such an event, you have likely found yourself struggling in several ways. Thankfully, you do not need to suffer through your losses alone. With the right assistance, you may pursue civil actions against the party responsible in an effort to seek maximum relief.