Lacking the enclosed body of a car or truck as protection, motorcyclists can find themselves suffering severe injuries after being involved in an accident. One common type of accident is open car doors motorcycle accidents, which is most often the fault of the party who opened the door. In this article, we share more with you about this type of accident as well as how to determine fault.
What Are Open Car Door Accidents?
Open car door accidents occur when the driver or passenger of a car stops and opens their door abruptly, causing a motorcyclist to either collide with the door or veer off course to avoid collision. The result of both outcomes is injury, whether minor, moderate or severe.
Causes of Open Car Door Accidents
There are a few reasons why these accidents can occur, including:
- Poor visibility conditions – In the event of fog or mist, a car driver or passenger may not be able to see approaching motorcyclists before opening the door. Motorcyclists may also fail to see the car ahead of them.
- Failure to check – Before opening a car door, it is the passenger’s obligation to check for any approaching motorcyclists. Failure to do so can mean that they are liable for any accidents that occur.
- Breaking of traffic laws – Cars are not supposed to stop or park in an active traffic lane. Drivers who break this traffic law may attempt to quickly hop in and out of their car to avoid being caught. However, this can result in an open car door accident when it’s too late for any approaching motorcyclist to stop.
- Driving too close to parked cars – As a motorcyclist, it is your duty to stick to the right side of the road when doing right-hand turns. If you fail to observe this and instead drive too close to parked cars, an open car door accident can occur.
Seeking Compensation and Recovering Damages
Have you sustained injuries from an open car door accident where the other party is at fault? These injuries can range in severity, especially if you veered into a more dangerous path of traffic in order to avoid colliding with the open door.
In other cases, the car driver or passenger who is exiting can be the victim if the motorcyclist was driving too closely to parked vehicles. A car accident lawyer can help you determine liability once they have understood the facts of your case.
Corradino & Papa, LLC Can Represent Victims of Open Car Door Accidents
Looking for a personal injury lawyer to represent you in your open car door accident case? At Corradino & Papa, LLC, our attorneys have decades’ worth of combined experience behind us, and we can bring our wide network of contacts and financial resources to the table. Get started by reaching out to us for a free consultation today!
Disclaimer: Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.