A dooring accident happens when a driver or passenger opens a car door directly into the path of a cyclist. There's almost no time to react, and if the cyclist swerves to avoid the door, they may be struck by moving traffic instead. Arizona law addresses this directly, and the liability picture is usually clear.
Who is liable
Under A.R.S. § 28-817, no person may open a vehicle door into traffic until it's reasonably safe to do so, and doors must not be left open longer than necessary. Violating this statute is evidence of negligence. The driver or passenger who opened the door is the primary defendant. If the vehicle was a commercial vehicle or if someone else shares responsibility for why the door was opened, additional parties may be liable. Arizona's pure comparative fault rule (A.R.S. § 12-2505) allows fault to be shared, and your recovery is reduced by your percentage — but you can still recover even if you were partly responsible. See our post on Arizona comparative negligence law.
Evidence that matters in dooring cases
Surveillance footage from traffic cameras or nearby businesses, witness statements, the position of the vehicle door at the time of impact (often documented in police reports), and the cyclist's injuries relative to the door-strike are all relevant. Black box data from the vehicle is generally not useful in dooring cases, but dashcam footage — yours or another vehicle's — can be decisive.
What a dooring accident claim can recover
Medical expenses past and future, lost wages, property damage to the bike and gear, pain and suffering, and emotional distress are all recoverable. Dooring crashes frequently produce serious injuries — skull fractures, road rash, and secondary vehicle strikes — because the rider has no protective structure around them.
The filing deadline
Arizona gives most personal injury victims two years from the accident date (A.R.S. § 12-542). See our post on the Arizona personal injury statute of limitations.
Our bicycle accident attorneys handle dooring claims throughout Phoenix and Scottsdale on a contingency fee basis. No fee unless we win. Call (480) 418-SHER (7437) or reach out online.