A sudden and dangerous hazard for bicyclists, e-bike, and e-scooter riders is “dooring” — when someone in a parked car unexpectedly opens a door into the path of an oncoming rider. With little time to react, riders may crash directly into the door or swerve into traffic, risking even more serious injuries or death. This type of accident has raised important legal and safety concerns, especially on urban and suburban roads.

Although Tennessee does not have a statute specifically addressing “dooring,” the law does place a legal duty on vehicle occupants to check for oncoming traffic before opening car doors on the traffic side or leaving them open. That means car occupants must act responsibly to avoid endangering others on the road.

To hold someone financially responsible for injuries from a dooring accident, an injured victim must prove negligence. This is done by establishing four key elements:

  1. Duty — The person who opened the door owed a duty to check for oncoming cyclists before opening their car door.

  2. Breach — That person breached their duty by failing to act as a reasonably prudent person would in the same situation.

  3. Causation — Opening the door was the direct and proximate cause of the accident and resulting injuries.

  4. Damages — The cyclist suffered actual injuries and losses as a result, such as medical bills, lost earnings, or pain and suffering.

Even when the car driver or occupant is clearly negligent, the actions of the injured victim will be scrutinized under Tennessee’s comparative negligence rule. If the rider was moving erratically or not taking proper precautions, a court may find them partly at fault. In Tennessee, an injured person’s recovery can be reduced by their percentage of fault, and if they are 50 percent or more responsible, they cannot recover damages at all.

A common question is whether not wearing a helmet counts as comparative negligence. While failing to wear a helmet does not make a rider at fault for the accident itself, the defense could argue that it contributed to the severity of a head or neck injury. This could reduce compensation for those specific injuries, even if the rider did nothing else wrong.

If you have been injured in a dooring accident, a skilled and experienced Tennessee personal injury attorney can help you through this challenging process and work to obtain the compensation you deserve. Don’t hesitate to reach out for guidance on your rights and options.

If you have been seriously hurt in an accident in or near Bristol, Kingsport or Johnson City, you need an experienced lawyer to obtain financial compensation for your injuries. Call the local and experienced injury attorneys at Massengill, Caldwell & Coughlin, P.C. today at 423-797-6022 or contact us online and schedule a free initial consultation. If you cannot make it to our Bristol office, we can set up an appointment in your home or in the hospital.