Doored in a Chicago
Bike Lane?
Injury Law Made Personal®
A door swings open in front of you and suddenly everyone wants to talk about how fast you were going. Illinois law is not vague about this: it is illegal to open a car door into traffic unless it is safe to do so, and the duty to look belongs to the person opening the door — driver or passenger. Ankin Law has fought for injured Illinois cyclists, riders and pedestrians for over 35 years.
Call 312.600.0000 Free Case ReviewWhy a Dooring Is Not Your Fault
The Situation
You are in the marked lane, riding the way the street was painted for you to ride, and a door comes out of a parked car with no warning at all. There is nothing to swerve into and no time to do it. The hazard did not exist until the moment somebody created it.
The Accident
What happens next is predictable. Somebody asks whether you had lights, whether you had a helmet, whether you were going too fast — all of it aimed at moving a share of the blame onto you. Meanwhile nobody writes down which door it was, who opened it, or which of the two people in that car had a hand on it.
The Solution
Ankin Law pins down who opened the door and which policies answer for it — the driver’s auto policy, a passenger’s own coverage, and where a for-hire trip was involved, a commercial policy as well. That question gets settled with facts collected early, not with an argument about your speed.
Is a Free Consultation Really Free?
Howard Ankin answers your questions directly.
What Illinois Law Says About Dooring
Illinois law forbids opening a door on the traffic side until it is reasonably safe to do so. The duty sits with whoever opens the door
The rule is not limited to drivers. A passenger who flings a door into a bike lane carries the same duty and the same liability
is the Illinois deadline for an injury lawsuit — shorter if a government body is involved, and longer only for a minor
Which Policy Pays — and What You Can Recover
The Driver’s Auto Policy
If the driver opened the door, their liability coverage answers for it in the ordinary way. A citation under the door-opening statute is not the end of the case, but it is powerful evidence of negligence and it is worth having in the file.
A Passenger — and Their Own Coverage
When a passenger opened the door, the recovery can reach beyond the car. A passenger’s homeowner’s or renter’s policy may respond, and if the car was on a for-hire trip a commercial policy may sit behind it. More than one policy is common in these cases.
What You Can Recover
Medical treatment, lost earnings, the bike itself, and what a shoulder or a wrist injury actually costs you — pain and suffering, disfigurement and loss of a normal life. Illinois reduces a recovery for your own share of fault, which is exactly why that share gets fought.
Why Ankin Law Is the Right Call After a Dooring
Photograph the Door, Not Just the Bike
The picture that matters is the open door across the painted lane, with the car still parked where it was. Get the plate, get the names of everyone who was in that car, and get a police report number. Storefront and doorbell cameras overwrite themselves within days.
The Blame Comes Back at You Fast
Expect questions about your speed, your lights and your helmet within the first phone call. Illinois does not require an adult to wear a helmet, and riding in a marked bike lane is not negligence. Those questions are a strategy, not an investigation.
No Fee Unless You Win
You pay nothing to start and nothing unless Ankin Law recovers for you. The consultation is free and confidential, and there is no obligation to hire anyone. Howard Ankin has been doing this for over 40 years.
Get Your Free Case Review
If a door put you on the pavement, the cameras that saw it are already counting down. Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation with no obligation.
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