Los Angeles Dooring Accident Attorney

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Joshua W. Glotzer, Esq

Managing Partner

Imagine yourself riding your bicycle contentedly on the street. Out of nowhere, a car door opens in front of you. With no time to react, you collide into the open car door.

What happens next may range from mild bruising to catastrophic injuries. If you suffered injuries due to a dooring accident, a Los Angeles dooring accident lawyer can provide the assistance you need to get you the compensation you deserve. 

What Is a Dooring Accident?

A “dooring accident” refers to a situation where a bicyclist collides with a suddenly opened vehicle door. A cyclist usually has limited time to react and cannot stop before the collision. These dangerous situations occur without warning and often result in devastating injuries.

Dooring accidents occur more commonly due to the increase in popularity of ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft. Unfortunately, when passengers reach their destination, they often open the door without checking for cyclists as they exit a vehicle. 

California Dooring Accident Law

California Vehicle Code Section 22517 outlines the law on a driver’s liability in a dooring accident.

The law provides, “no person shall open the door of a vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless it is reasonably safe to do so and can be done without interfering with the movement of such 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.”

Essentially, a driver violating the laws outlined in this code section is at fault for any resulting dooring accidents. However, proving fault in these complex situations requires the assistance of a Los Angeles dooring accident lawyer. 

Common Injuries Resulting from Dooring Accidents

Dooring accidents range in severity from minor bruising to severe injuries.

Common injuries resulting from dooring accidents include the following:

  • Soft tissue injuries, 
  • Torn muscles, 
  • Torn ligaments,
  • Wrist injuries, 
  • Road rash,
  • Broken bones,
  • Nerve damage, 
  • Paralysis,
  • Chronic pain, 
  • Chest and ribcage injuries,
  • Head injuries,
  • Spinal injuries
  • Back injuries, and
  • Emotional distress.

Being doored can happen at any time, anywhere. If you suffered injuries from a dooring accident, you need the assistance of a qualified Los Angeles dooring accident lawyer.  

What Can I Recover After a Dooring Accident

You have a right to recover compensation after suffering injuries in a dooring accident. A California dooring accident lawyer may help you recover the compensation needed to recover from your injuries and get your life back on track. California breaks compensatory damages into two categories–economic damages and non-economic damages. 

Economic Damages

Economic damages include calculable and definite damages that result from your injuries. Economic damages include the following:

  • Medical expenses, 
  • Future medical expenses,
  • Lost wages, 
  • Lost future earnings, and
  • Property damage.

In the event you suffered injuries in a dooring accident, retain all invoices, medical bills, and other tangible evidence of your losses. Your California dooring accident lawyer uses this information to support your claim for economic damages. 

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages represent subjective and physical losses suffered in your accident. However, these damages vary significantly from person to person. These damages are not supported by tangible evidence like economic damages. Non-economic damages include the following:

  • Emotional distress, 
  • Pain and suffering, 
  • Disfigurement, and
  • Loss of enjoyment of life.

Your Los Angeles dooring accident attorney uses your testimony to support your case for non-economic damages. Non-economic damages, despite their significant variation from case to case, should never be overlooked.

These damages may be significantly greater than economic damage awards in some cases. Furthermore, non-economic damages often provide the support needed to move forward with your life following a devastating dooring accident. 

How Can a California Dooring Accident Lawyer Help Me? 

Dooring accidents often result in devastating injuries. When these accidents occur due to a driver’s negligence, you deserve to recover for the harm you suffered. With over fifty years of combined legal experience, the attorneys at Glotzer & Leib, LLP have empowered our clients to focus on getting better while working diligently to secure the compensation they deserve.

We understand you may be experiencing a range of emotions from anger, frustration, and anxiety. There’s no need to suffer through these feelings alone. The attorneys at Glotzer & Leib, LLP are here to help you through this difficult time.

Contact us today for a free consultation to find out what we can do for you.

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      “Mr. Glotzer represented me after I was involved in a car accident. I was badly injured,but the insurance company refused to offer me a reasonable settlement. I decided to find an attorney and decided to hire Josh.

      His law firm did a great job on my case. They were very responsive to all my questions and obtained a great resolution for me. I received way more money than was originally offered. I would recommend their firm to friends and family.”

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      “Mr. Josh Glotzer is a great attorney. Over the last 15 years he has helped me on a number of cases with professionalism, and more importantly a positive outcome in my favor. I have referred him to a number of friends and colleagues, all of which have been equally as happy with his legal representation. I trust him and confident in legal ability. I highly recommend his law firm.”

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      “Don’t try to deal with insurance companies on your own. They strung me along for almost two years before I gave the case to Glotzer & Leib. Josh and his team quickly obtained a settlement that netted me many times what the insurance company was offering. Thank You!”

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      “My wife was in a car accident last year and Josh did an amazing job representing her. It’s very refreshing to see someone in his profession that actually cares and puts his clients first. He’s the best in the business and I feel so fortunate that I was referred to him. Keep up the great work and thanks for everything you did for my family!”

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      “I was in a rear end car accident last year and hired Mr. Glotzer’s office. It wasn’t a big case but their office helped me with my property damage claim and did a good job resolving the injury portion of the case as well.”

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    Our Location

    Los Angeles Office

    Glotzer & Leib, LLP
    714 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 632
    Los Angeles, California 90015 (213) 309-3050

    Our Los Angeles office is conveniently located at the junction of the 110 and 10 freeways and in the heart of the downtown entertainment district.