Dooring Crashes in Illinois
A “dooring” crash is a type of accident that occurs when car door opens into the pathway of a cyclist. Doorings happen when someone doesn't look for a cyclist riding next to parked cars. A driver or passenger inside one of the parked cars opens their door without checking for oncoming bikers. The cyclist, having little time to react to a door opening into its path of travel, collides with the door. This carelessness often leads to serious and life-altering injuries. When a dooring occurs, bike attorney Tom Reuland can help.
Reuland Law has extensive experience representing cyclists injured by negligent drivers and passengers who cause a crash by opening their door into the pathway of cyclists. Tom Reuland is an aggressive personal attorney you can find in court, but you might also see him riding early in the morning to Chicago's Loop or on a trail ride on the weekends. We understand cyclists. And we can help today with a free and confidential consultation.
The Dutch Reach:
An Easy Way to Prevent Doorings
Safe drivers and passengers can easily avoid dooring crashes simply by keeping a safe lookout. It is common sense that drivers and passengers must check their mirrors and look over their shoulders before opening the door of a parked car. In fact, Illinois started teaching the “Dutch Reach” to people in driver's education when applying for their driver's license.
The Dutch Reach is when a driver reaches across their body to open the door with the hand furthest away from the door. When we do this, our bodies naturally turn to make it easier to look for oncoming traffic and bicyclists before opening the door. Unfortunately, too few drivers and passengers use the Dutch Reach and end up causing a dooring crash.
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If you have any questions about how the Dutch Reach can make you a safer driver and passenger, or if you’ve been the victim of a dooring crash in Illinois, we would be happy to help you today. Consultations with our office are free and confidential when you’re seeking legal advice or considering whether to hire a personal injury attorney. Reuland Law has a track record of success and aggressive advocacy on behalf of bicyclists in Illinois.
Your Rights
Cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as other road users in Illinois. Like drivers, cyclists have the right to continue straight without a door blocking their right of way. If you have any questions about the law or, worse, if you were involved in a dooring bicycle crash, you can have a free and confidential conversation with an attorney today by calling our office.
Other Types of Cycling Crashes
What is the law in Illinois about dooring bike crashes?
Dooring accidents are unfortunately common for Illinois cyclists. So much so in fact that Illinois legislators passed a law that specifically addresses dooring crashes in our state: 625 ILCS 5/11-1407. This statute applies state-wide and says:
No person shall open the door of a vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic, nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a vehicle available to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.
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If you're a biker in Chicago, a special municipal law also provides you with additional protection if you are injured in a dooring accident. The Chicago Municipal Code at 9-80-035 echoes the state-wide law with identical language. With these laws in place, when a driver of a passenger of a vehicle opens their door into a bicyclist that person can receive a ticket from a responding police officer. They are also liable for damages in a civil lawsuit, like the kinds of lawsuits that Reuland Law brings.