What Does It Mean to Get Doored in Michigan?

Getting doored is something that can happen to a cyclist when they are riding near a line of parked cars. These cars may simply be parked on the side of the street, as the cyclist is riding on the right-hand edge of the travel lane. In some cases, there will even be parking spaces on the street with a dedicated bike path running along next to them.

In either case, the danger to the cyclist is that someone may get out of one of those parked cars. This could happen unexpectedly and very suddenly. As soon as the door swings open, the cyclist runs into the open door, causing a severe high-speed crash. There are also dooring cases where the person will step out of the car and the cyclist will hit them directly.

Why Does It Happen?

The simple reason why this happens is that people in vehicles often do not check to see if it’s safe for them to step out into the street. Drivers could always avoid dooring accidents if they just looked in the mirrors to see if a cyclist was coming up behind them. And, while many drivers do check each time, there will always be drivers who fail to do so.

Why Can’t the Cyclist Avoid the Crash?

The blame doesn’t fall on the cyclist because they likely have no choice. They don’t have enough space to stop and they can’t swerve to the left or they would be riding their bike into the oncoming traffic lanes.

Seeking Compensation

Are you a cyclist who has recently been injured by a negligent and inattentive driver? If so, you need to know how to seek financial compensation for medical bills and more.