Door Collisions: Liability for Injured Cyclists

Opening a Car Door Can Change a Cyclist’s Life Forever

For drivers, opening a door might seem routine. But for cyclists riding past, that split-second act can be devastating. A sudden door in the bike lane can flip a rider onto asphalt, throw them into traffic, or shatter bones on impact. What feels minor to the person in the car often becomes life-changing for the cyclist.

At Horn Wright, LLP, our personal injury attorneys have represented riders hit with exactly this scenario. We’ve seen delivery cyclists thrown into moving traffic near Midtown and commuters in Brooklyn taken off their bikes because someone didn’t look. These aren’t “small accidents.” They’re avoidable injuries caused by negligence.

Common Door Collision Scenarios in New York

New York’s dense traffic and reliance on street parking make dooring accidents alarmingly common. Bike lanes often run right alongside parked cars, leaving little margin for error.

Some of the most frequent situations include:

• Drivers exiting cars without looking, swinging the door into a cyclist’s path.
• Passengers in rideshare or taxis opening doors into bike lanes.
• Double-parked vehicles blocking visibility, forcing cyclists into “dooring zones.”
• Commercial vehicles unloading on crowded streets like Broadway or Houston Street.

State law addresses this directly. Under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1214, it’s illegal to open a car door unless it’s safe to do so. The law exists precisely to protect cyclists and pedestrians from these preventable dangers.

Evidence That Proves Liability in Door Collisions

Liability for dooring cases often feels obvious, but proving it takes work. Insurance companies love to argue that cyclists were riding “too close” or “too fast.” The key is evidence.

What helps prove liability:

• Police reports citing violations of VTL § 1214.
• Witness testimony from pedestrians, other drivers, or nearby cyclists.
• Surveillance or dashcam footage capturing the moment of impact.
• Medical records showing injuries consistent with a sudden collision.
• Photos of the scene, showing the car’s position and the bike lane layout.

New York’s comparative negligence rule (CPLR § 1411) also applies. Even if a cyclist was partly at fault, for instance, riding outside the marked lane, they can still recover damages. In federal cases under the FTCA, liability standards are similar, though punitive damages are not permitted.

How Insurance Companies Handle Dooring Claims

In theory, dooring accidents should be straightforward. A driver or passenger opens a door unsafely, a cyclist is injured, and liability follows. But insurance companies rarely treat it that simply.

Typical tactics insurers use:

• Arguing the cyclist should have swerved or slowed down.
• Claiming the rider wasn’t visible due to lack of lights or reflective gear.
• Minimizing injuries by calling them “minor” or “temporary.”
• Delaying payment in hopes the victim accepts a lower settlement.

This is where legal support makes a difference. Attorneys can counter these tactics with traffic laws, medical records, and expert testimony. Without that pushback, insurers often succeed in shifting partial blame to the cyclist, reducing payouts unfairly.

Vermont Provides Narrower Remedies for Door Collision Victims Than New York

Dooring cases in Vermont face tighter restrictions than in New York.

• Comparative negligence is modified in Vermont. If a cyclist is found more than 50% at fault, recovery is barred. In New York, even an 80% fault finding still allows partial recovery.
• Damage awards are typically smaller in Vermont, with juries awarding less for non-economic harms like pain and suffering.
• Statutory protections for cyclists are weaker, giving insurers more room to contest liability.

This difference means the same accident, a cyclist struck by a suddenly opened door, could lead to substantial compensation in Brooklyn but limited or no recovery in Burlington.

Financial Recovery Options for Victims of Dooring Accidents

Cyclists injured in door collisions often face medical bills, lost wages, and long-term pain. New York law allows recovery through several categories of damages:

• Medical expenses: ER visits, surgeries, therapy, and long-term care.
• Lost income: both immediate wages and reduced earning capacity.
• Non-economic damages: pain, suffering, loss of mobility, or diminished enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful death damages: in fatal crashes, families can recover funeral expenses and loss of financial support under EPTL § 5-4.1.

When the at-fault party is a federal or municipal employee, like a postal worker or city inspector, special rules apply. Under the FTCA or General Municipal Law § 50-e, claims must be filed within tight deadlines, and punitive damages are unavailable.

Why Door Collisions Are Preventable With Care

What makes dooring cases so frustrating is how preventable they are. A simple glance in the mirror or a quick check over the shoulder, often called the “Dutch Reach”—is enough to prevent tragedy.

In cities like Amsterdam, drivers are taught to open doors with their far hand, forcing them to look back. New York drivers and passengers could do the same. Until then, cyclists remain at risk because someone couldn’t be bothered to look.

Jurors often respond strongly to this fact. Dooring isn’t an “accident” in the sense of bad luck, it’s negligence. And it takes almost no effort to avoid.

Horn Wright, LLP, Fights for Cyclists Hurt by Dooring

For cyclists, being “doored” can mean months of recovery, lost work, and fear of riding again. For drivers, it’s often shrugged off as “bad timing.” That imbalance isn’t fair.

At Horn Wright, LLP, our personal injury attorneys fight for cyclists injured by careless drivers and passengers. We gather the evidence, push back against insurer excuses, and make sure victims aren’t left paying for someone else’s mistake.

Door collisions are preventable. When negligence causes them, we hold the responsible parties accountable.