A Brooklyn Accident Attorney Addresses The Issue Of Bicycle And Vehicle Door Collisions

By Nelson Cozad


One of the easiest and most efficient ways to get around busy city streets is on a bicycle. It provides good exercise along with convenience. This form of transportation can also be hazardous. A Brooklyn accident attorney can explain what your rights are if you have been involved in a collision with a parked car door.

There are various relatively common types of bike accidents. One such accident type often seen in the City settings is known as "doorings." This type of accident occurs when a driver or passenger in a parked car or truck, suddenly opens a door of a vehicle into the path of a cyclist.

Section 1214 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law of the State of New York addresses the issue of the opening and closing of vehicle doors as follows: "No person shall open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic and until it is reasonably safe to do so and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic, nor shall a 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."

These are New York state laws. New York City has an additional protective statute. It states that no one can get out of the traffic side of any vehicle in such a way that interferes with an approaching bicycle or car.

This law protects the cyclist and sets out the legal responsibility of the driver of a motor vehicle and cyclist. Each case is very different and nuances in facts can result in differing legal situations. The selection of knowledgeable counsel is at times critical to vindicating your legal rights. It is also very important to consult and retain counsel as soon as possible so as to assemble and preserve evidence when it is still available and to obtain information when the event is still fresh in the minds of witnesses.

If you have decided to get legal representation after some time has passed, it may be too late to convince a judge you should be compensated. A good lawyer may find some other way to get justice without going to court however.




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