New York Personal Injury Lawyer Gets Compensation for Victim of Dooring Accident

 The New York personal injury law firm of Kenneth A. Wilhelm obtained $295,000 in compensation for the victim of a bicycle dooring accident. The bicycle accident occurred in July 2014 in Brooklyn when the bicyclist was traveling in the same direction as a motorist. According to the personal injury lawsuit, which was filed in the Kings County Supreme Court, the driver opened his vehicle’s door in an unsafe manner and without regard for the other traffic on the roadway. The bicyclist was struck by the open door and as a result suffered personal injuries.

Dangerous and Illegal
For bicyclists in New York City, there is a growing fear of getting “doored” or crashing into parked vehicle doors that are suddenly flung open in their path. These types of accidents may end up causing significant injuries, said personal injury attorney Kenneth A. Wilhelm.
“When a driver suddenly opens a car door in the path of a bicyclist, the bicyclist is taken by surprise and ends up losing control of the bike,” he said. “Due to the loss of control or a collision with the door, the bicyclist may get thrown on to the pavement, or worse, thrown into the path of an oncoming vehicle, which may result in catastrophic or even fatal injuries.”
Carelessly opening a door in the path of traffic is an offense under New York’s Vehicle & Traffic Law Section 1214, which states: “No person shall open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic, nor shall any 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.”
Tips for Motorists to Prevent Dooring Accidents
The first step for motorists is to pay greater attention to their surroundings. Do not be distracted by a phone call or let passengers in your vehicle take your focus away from the roadway. The law requires that you stop and look for bicyclists on the traffic side before exiting your parked vehicle. Always take the time to look. Be aware if you are on a street with a bike lane. In New York City, the bike lane is often close to cars on the right. Please remember that you share the roadway with bicyclists. Respect their space like you would with any other motorist. Under the law, bicyclists have the same rights as drivers of other vehicles. Make sure you leave at least 3 feet of passing room for bicyclists.
Liability Issues
When a motorist fails to look before opening a vehicle door on the traffic side, then action may amount to negligence. In personal injury lawsuits, plaintiffs must prove that the defendant was negligent and that negligence caused the plaintiff’s injuries, damages and losses. Dooring accidents may result in serious bodily injuries including, but not limited to, head injury, neck and back trauma, broken bones, internal organ damage, etc. In some cases, these types of accidents may even be fatal. The value or worth of your injury case will depend on the nature and extent of the injuries that you have sustained. In such cases, negligent motorists can be held responsible for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitative treatment, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families of deceased victims can also seek compensation for their losses by filing a wrongful death claim.
Compensation for Injured Victims
If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident that was caused by a reckless driver or due to someone else’s negligence, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a man who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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