Dooring Accidents in Chicago: The Law and Your Rights

What Is a Dooring Accident?

A dooring happens when someone in a parked car opens their door into the path of a passing motorcycle. The rider has a split second, often none, to react. On busy Chicago streets like Milwaukee, Clark, and Halsted, where parked cars line lanes packed with riders, dooring is one of the most common and most preventable crashes there is.

Illinois Law Is Clear, and It Is on Your Side

Illinois law specifically makes dooring illegal. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1407, no person may open a vehicle door on the side of moving traffic unless it is reasonably safe to do so. That means the legal fault almost always sits with the person who opened the door, not the rider. Chicago has pushed dooring enforcement and awareness for years, because it injures so many riders.

Why Insurers Still Fight These Cases

Even with the law on your side, the driver's insurer will often argue you were riding too close to the parked cars, going too fast, or could have avoided the door. This is where Illinois modified comparative negligence comes in (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). If they can pin even part of the blame on you, they reduce what they pay, and if they push you past 50 percent, they pay nothing. A lawyer who knows dooring cases counters that head-on.

Dooring Injuries Are Often Serious

A dooring throws a rider off the bike and frequently into the next lane of traffic, turning one crash into two. Broken bones, head injuries, and road rash are common. Because the impact is sudden and the rider has no time to brace, these crashes hurt.

What to Do After a Dooring

• Call 911 and get the Chicago Police crash report. Make sure it notes that a door was opened into your path.
• Get the information of both the vehicle owner and the person who opened the door, since they are sometimes different people.
• Photograph the door, the car's position, the bike, and your injuries.
• Find witnesses, because dooring crashes often have them.
• See a doctor and avoid quick settlement offers.

You Have Rights. Use Them.

If a carelessly opened door took you down, the law is on your side, but you still need someone to enforce it. Derek Martin and the Driver Defense Team handle dooring cases for Chicago riders. As part of Ride Nation Chicago, we stand with riders. Enter the free BikersWin $20,000 motorcycle giveaway today, and if you have been hurt, contact Derek Martin and the Driver Defense Team for a free case review.

This article is attorney advertising and general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship.