Who’s at fault when a biker hits a car door?

In this common and potentially serious kind of scenario, who’s at fault when a biker hits a car door? Can a biker claim for personal injury compensation?

Without being too vague, it all does depend on the circumstances of the accident, and we do assess matters on a case-by-case basis. That being said, there’s certainly a duty for drivers – and their passengers – to ensure they only ever open a car door when it’s safe to do so. Easy distractions can mean that this kind of accident can be common, but it can lead to serious injuries for the rider.

Here’s a little advice about what to do as a rider if this has happened to you.

Compensation claims for when a biker hits a car door

If a biker hits a car door, there can be a valid claim for personal injury compensation to make.

If a driver opens a car door into the path of a biker, this should be a clear, valid claim in favour of the rider. If a passenger does this, the rider can still make a claim from the driver’s insurance, as the driver can be vicariously liable for their passengers’ actions.

If a car door is already open, it could come down to the circumstances. If the door is in a dangerous position and there was no way for the rider to avoid it, liability can still attach to the insurer of the vehicle. However, just because a car door is open doesn’t mean that the fault lies automatically with the driver.

The most common incident where this happens is where a car door is opened into the path of a biker. Liability can end up being split between the two parties as well, but this doesn’t stop you being able to make a successful claim.

If a biker hits a car door, we can help

We can help when a biker hits a car door. We specialise in motorbike injury compensation claims, and we offer No Win, No Fee arrangements for cases we can accept.

For free, no-obligation advice, please call our helpline on 0800 634 75 75 today or complete a call back form and we can get back to you.