Slodo

Is there any recourse a biker can take when an idiot motorist opens up his door and almost kills you? I took a bad hit yesterday from some @$$hole in a Lexus when he swung his door out in front of me. Damaged my right arm pretty bad as well as destroyed one of my pedals. I started screaming and cursing at the guy (who was casually apologetic) but it seemed like even if I called the cops I wouldn't of had much of a case. I had no majopr injuries but I lost a day of work and skool to get x-rays. I just wanna show drivers like him to be more careful. I know this is probably a tired topic for some of you but please let me know how you deal with these kind of minor but jarring incidents. Thanks!

Hawkear

A lot of people deal with them by avoiding them (not riding in the door zone, or developing a hyper-awareness).

absntr

Dooring is tough - in most cases, nothing happens except apologies. I ride out of the door zone as much as I can, even though Chicago's bike lanes ARE the door zone's. I hug the outer white line pretty tight and watch for drivers coming out of cars closely. Still in some cases's it'll be unavoidable. If the injury was bad enough, you could try seeing if trading insurance info is possible. Or at least get his.

Heal up fast, ride soon.

jim-bob

Old gaspipe steel cruiser with a full metal basket. Just plow on through.

weed eater

I'm glad you're OK. The only way to avoid this is to stay out of the door zone when riding. Most states have a vehicle code that says you can take the lane to avoid the door zone (not in those words of course) if you need to. You can take the lane in a "substandard lane", which is defined as a lane where a car can't safely pass you without using the opposite lane (or without squeezing you into the doorzone). Even if it's not "legal" you should do it.

It's better to get honked at than injured or killed.

check this
https://www-personal.umich.edu/~riin/bikes/doorzone.htm

and this
https://bicyclesafe.com/

ride big.

simple312

there should be something with his auto insurance, but you would probably have to talk to an insurance co or lawyer to get an answer.

*knocks on wood* luckily i have never been doored, but seems like i am having more and more people almost drive into me as the pull over to double park.
unfortunately as already said avoidance is key.

generally on smaller 2 lane roads i ride i was driving a car, in the middle of the lane, but this depending on traffic what road i am on and how tired/slow i am moving. if there are more than 3 lanes or i'm going slow, ill just stay to on the right of the bike lane and keep an eye out for parked cars that might be leaving the spot or car.

steaktaco

sorry to hear slo, chicago's pretty bad sometimes.

I hope you asked for his insurance info. unfortunately, that's the best you can do. in the states, people pay insurance so they can be stupid drivers — it's the way of the land.

other countries have it better — folks learn to be sharp and smart when they drive because no one follows the rules of traffic, often liability insurance isn't even available.

evanyc

if someone opens a door and you cant avoid it, do your best to aim towards the person getting out of the car. they are softer than a car door, and by nailing them, you will teach them a lesson.

Contra Fixie

CVC 21202 (or one of those CVC 2 somethings) holds drivers fully liable for doorings.

thechamp

I wonder who would be liable for damages if a car took out the door of a parked car opening it's door. I know that generally in an accident the car approaching from behind is liable for any accidents. Is this the case when someone opens his door into traffic? I don't know.
Way I figure is that hitting a car door means you were riding too close to the car, maybe not paying enough attention. Maybe I don't ride enough to have become cavalier about it but I really pay close attention to brakelights and people in driver seats of parked cars. If anything looks funky I stop or get into the middle of the lane. In oregon anyway, you're allowed one full lane (if there's no bike lane) and I'll take it and slow down the cars behind me in a second if it means not getting doored.
I'm not suggesting that the driver is without blame, that guy is clearly the worst sort of human scum, but in the end you need to not run into things. What if a kid had run out from in front of the car? Not your fault but would you have been able to stop in time?
ride safe.

bostontrevor

Bike accidents should generally be handled just like auto accidents. Get names, insurance info, etc. If you think you might be injured, call 911. Depending on your state and local requirements, you may need to involve the police for all accidents or just those above a certain property damage threshold or in the event of injury.

Do not apologize, do not say you're ok, do not admit any fault. If you do any of these things, the other guy's insurance company may take advantage of that.

In the case of dooring, it's usually the driver's fault (either legally or in an insurance liability sort of way). I could see an insurance company arguing counter, however, if you were traveling within a parking lane at the time.

The best bet: stay out of the door zone. Even if there's a door zone bike lane, recognize that it's just there to show you where NOT to ride. I hope you feel better and that it's nothing serious.

jordache

Take two and pass to the right.

brunning

u-lock vengeance, of course. why else do you ride with it shoved down the back of your pants like that? easy access...

wheezl

I don't know about chicago but in New York I am pretty sure dooring is always the fault of the person opening to door into traffic. Like no questions asked always thier fault 100% responsible for any damages. I will however second the notion that if you have the time to react properly you should aim for the soft flesh of the idiot that doesn't care enough to check.

hypersnazz

I'm with wheezl and evanyc. Stuff your front wheel into the *******'s lap. Even see if you can manual up into it.

cc_rider

Most places I know consider it the fault of the person opeing the door. Similar to pulling out into traffic from a parking spce or side street. There's a term for it, something like "interference with a travel lane."
The bike laws of all of our local jurisdictions require bikes to ride as far to the ride as is safe and practical. Leaves it a judgement call on how safe the door zone is.
It is NOT the fault of the bicyclist, but that doesn't fix your bike or make you heal any faster. We have to take steps to protect ourselves when riding, and if that means taking the lane, then do it!

Dahon.Steve

I received over $1,500.00 for the same injury around 1991! You will have to take this motorist to small claims court for the money. If you didn't call the police, there's no one to blame but yourself. Too many cyclists walk away bleading from accidents that would compensate them thousands of dollars.

ajay677

Hopefully you got the driver's information, or at least the make, model and license number of his vehicle. In my jurisdiction it is 100% the person opening the car door into traffic that is at fault. It is a chargable traffic offense and the person responsible is civilly liable for damages they caused. That said, I don't know what the Illinois statutes are. Check into it. File a police report. Talk to a lawyer. If you want to show drivers like him to be more careful, make him pay.

Roughstuff

I have been lucky since riding in rural areas dooring is pretty rare. I have never plowed into the guy getting out, but I have stopped and slammed the door back shut. That always gets attention.

roughstuff

dedhed

I've never had the luck to be doored yet, but I would definately get accident report, insurance info, and have the motorists insurance pay for a doctor visit and a trip to the LBS to have the bike thouroghly inspected.

cavit8

Similar in Ontario that it's the fault of the motorist:

No person shall,
(a) open the door of a motor vehicle on a highway without first taking due precautions to ensure that his or her act will not interfere with the movement of or endanger any other person or vehicle; or

(highway is essentially anywhere vehicles are intended to go)

Whether this means anything is dubious:

Friday, July 18. 9:50 am. A 28 year-old cyclist was killed on University Ave. at Dundas St. by a driver who opened his door without looking. The driver received a ticket for $105.00 and 2 points. One week after his death, on Friday July 25, ARC organized a memorial for the cyclist. The monthly Critical Mass ride stopped at the site for two minutes of silence, bikes held aloft.

That being said, maybe the driver isn't the only culprit

https://www.respect.to/pipermail/arca...04/000212.html

mr_tom

Typically, it is the door-opener that is at fault in these cases. You should exchange details, and inform the police.

anders

Excellent advice.

Didi Senft

Ha. I thought this thread was gonna be about cannabis.

Helmet Head

Technically, it is illegal to open a door without first making sure it's safe to do so. If you're going to count on drivers actually doing this (not to mention kids in back seats opening driver-side rear doors), you're insane.

Some people have implied or even explicitly claimed that sometimes it's impossible to avoid riding in the door zone. I don't understand this. What could possibly prevent you from merging left? It's not like parked cars suddenly appear out of nowhere right next to you. If you believe that sometimes it's unavoidable, you will inevitably end up riding in door zones.

If you understand that it is never acceptable to ride in door zones, you will find a way to avoid them, always. Works for me...