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Article · 11 min read
Someone opened a car door into me or my bike: dooring claims (UK)
Doored by a parked car in the UK? Highway Code rule 239 puts the duty on the person opening the door. How cyclists and drivers claim for a dooring.
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E-E-A-T
Someone opened a car door into me or my bike: dooring claims (UK)
Being 'doored' is one of the most sudden and frightening things that can happen on a bike, and it catches drivers and motorcyclists too. You are riding or driving past a line of parked cars when, without warning, a door swings open into your path. For a cyclist there is often no time to react, and a dooring can throw a rider into the road or into passing traffic. The good news, legally, is that the responsibility sits squarely with the person who opened the door, and the Highway Code could hardly be clearer about it.
This guide explains who is at fault in a dooring, the specific Highway Code rule that governs opening a car door, what it means for cyclists, motorcyclists and other drivers, what to do at the scene, and how a non-fault claim is handled. Cyclist doorings in particular are covered on our dedicated page at /cyclist-collision-claims, and the wider picture of how a non-fault claim works is set out at /non-fault-car-accident-claims.
Rule 239: the law puts the duty on the person opening the door
Rule 239 of the Highway Code is unambiguous. It states that you MUST ensure you do not hit anyone when you open your door, and that you should check for cyclists or other traffic by looking all around and using your mirrors before doing so. The use of MUST in the Highway Code signals a legal requirement, not just advice. Opening a door negligently or without due care can also be an offence under regulation 105 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, which makes it an offence to open, or cause or permit to be opened, any door of a vehicle on a road so as to injure or endanger any person.
Rule 239 goes further and recommends the technique often called the 'Dutch Reach': where you are able to do so, you should open the door using the hand on the opposite side to the door you are opening. Reaching across with your far hand naturally turns your body and head, so you look back over your shoulder and are far more likely to see a cyclist or motorcyclist coming up alongside. The whole thrust of the rule is that the person inside the vehicle, who is stationary and in control, must make sure the way is clear before opening into a lane that others are using.
Because the duty is so clearly placed on the person opening the door, liability in a dooring almost always rests with the occupant of the parked car (and, through them, their motor insurer, since the use of the vehicle includes getting in and out of it). A cyclist or motorcyclist passing a parked car at a reasonable distance and speed has every right to expect the doors to stay shut until it is safe to open them.
DETAIL
03
Section 3 of the walkthrough.
What this means for cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers
Doorings affect different road users in different ways, but the duty under rule 239 is the same regardless of who gets hit.
Cyclists. The most common and most dangerous dooring victims. A rider hit by an opening door, or forced to swerve into traffic to avoid one, normally has a strong non-fault claim against the occupant who opened it. The 'door zone' risk is exactly why riders are encouraged to keep clear of parked cars.
Motorcyclists. A door opening into a motorcyclist's path is treated the same way. The rider's higher speed can make the consequences more severe, which makes the occupant's failure to look all the more serious.
Drivers and other vehicles. A car or van passing parked vehicles can have a door opened into its side, or have to swerve to avoid one. The duty under rule 239 still falls on the person who opened the door.
Passengers, not just drivers. Rule 239 applies to anyone opening a door, so a rear-seat passenger who flings a door open is just as responsible. The vehicle's insurer is generally the route to recovery.
When a dooring claim can be argued
Although the duty is firmly on the person opening the door, an insurer may occasionally argue that the cyclist, motorcyclist or driver who was hit contributed to what happened. It helps to know where those arguments come from so your evidence answers them.
An insurer might suggest the rider was travelling too fast for the situation, was riding without lights after dark so the occupant could not have seen them, was filtering through stationary traffic at an unsafe speed, or was so close to the parked cars that no reasonable check would have spotted a problem in time. These arguments rarely succeed in full against the clear duty in rule 239, but they can lead to an argument for a small reduction for contributory negligence in some cases. Riding at a sensible distance from the door zone, using lights when needed, and having a dashcam or helmet camera all help rebut them. The reality is that a properly-functioning check by the person inside the car would have prevented the collision, and that is where the law starts.
What to do at the scene of a dooring
If you are injured, your health comes first - a dooring can cause serious injury, especially to a cyclist thrown into the road, so accept any medical help offered and call 999 if needed. Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 requires the people involved to stop and exchange details after an accident involving injury or damage, and that includes the occupant of the parked car. Make sure you get the details before anyone leaves.
Get the name and address of the person who opened the door and, crucially, of the registered keeper and the vehicle, along with the insurer and policy number where you can - under section 170(2) those particulars must be provided. Note the registration even if the occupant is evasive. If they refuse, leave, or give false details, record the registration, make, model and colour and report it to the police within 24 hours under section 170(6).
Then photograph everything: the parked car and the open or damaged door, the position of your bike or vehicle, the damage to both, the road and any cycle lane markings, and the gap between the parked car and the traffic lane. Capture any helmet-cam or dashcam footage straight away before it overwrites. Streets with parked cars are often covered by shop, residential or council CCTV, so note any cameras - that footage is frequently overwritten within 14 to 31 days. Get the name and number of any witness, especially another cyclist or a pedestrian who saw the door open.
06DETAILKey takeaway
Injuries, and how a non-fault claim is handled
Doorings frequently cause injury, from cuts, bruises and broken bones to more serious harm where a rider is pushed into traffic. We are an accident management business, not a solicitor and not an FCA-regulated claims-management company, so we do not run your personal injury claim ourselves. Where you have been hurt and want to pursue it, we refer you, only with your written consent, to an appropriate authorised partner. The damage side - to your bike, motorcycle or car - runs alongside and does not wait for the injury element.
For a damaged bike, motorcycle or car, the occupant's insurer is responsible for putting you back in the position you were in before the dooring. That covers repair or replacement of the cycle or vehicle, recovery and storage of a motorcycle or car that cannot be ridden or driven, and a replacement vehicle where you need one. Under Lagden v O'Connor [2003] UKHL 64 a non-fault driver or rider who cannot afford to hire otherwise can recover the reasonable cost of credit hire from the at-fault insurer, within the rate and duration limits in Dimond v Lovell [2002] 1 AC 384. How a cyclist dooring claim is run, including damaged-bike recovery, is set out at /cyclist-collision-claims, and the broader process for any non-fault collision is at /non-fault-car-accident-claims.
How long you have to claim
Under section 11 of the Limitation Act 1980 you generally have three years from the date of injury to bring a personal injury claim, and under section 2 you generally have six years from the date of the accident to claim for damage to your bike or vehicle. Those are the outer limits. As with every collision, the evidence runs to a far shorter clock: helmet-cam and dashcam footage overwrites within hours, street CCTV is held for only 14 to 31 days, and a witness's memory of a door swinging open fades fast. Opening the file straight away lets us preserve the footage and statements while they still exist.
Take action
If you have just been in a non-fault collision, the fastest way to protect your claim is to open the file with us inside the first hour. We dispatch recovery, lodge the relevant CCTV requests inside the retention window, and notify the third-party insurer for you.
We do not provide legal advice. This article is general guidance for UK drivers. Personal injury enquiries are referred only with your consent to authorised legal or regulated partners. Specific limits, retention windows and process steps may change; the position at the date of any individual collision will govern the handling of that claim.
Frequently asked questions
- I was doored on my bike. Whose fault is it?
- Almost always the person who opened the door. Highway Code rule 239 says you MUST ensure you do not hit anyone when opening a door, and check all around and your mirrors first. The word MUST signals a legal requirement, and opening a door so as to injure someone can be an offence under the Construction and Use Regulations. A cyclist passing at a reasonable distance and speed normally has a strong non-fault claim.
- What is the 'Dutch Reach' and does it matter for my claim?
- It is the technique recommended in rule 239: open the door with the hand on the opposite side, which turns your body so you look back and are more likely to see a cyclist or motorcyclist. It matters because it shows the standard expected of the person opening the door. Their failure to look properly is what puts the duty - and the liability - on them.
- Can I claim against the car's insurer even though the car was parked?
- Yes. Getting in and out of a vehicle counts as use of it, so the occupant's motor insurer is generally the route to recovery for a dooring, whether it was the driver or a passenger who opened the door. We deal with that insurer directly on your behalf.
- They are saying I was going too fast. Will that reduce my claim?
- It rarely defeats a dooring claim, given the clear duty in rule 239, but an insurer may argue for a small reduction for contributory negligence if, for example, you had no lights after dark or were filtering at an unsafe speed. Riding clear of the door zone, using lights, and having helmet-cam or dashcam footage all help rebut it.
- My bike was wrecked. Can I get it recovered and replaced?
- Yes. The at-fault occupant's insurer is responsible for repairing or replacing your bike, and for recovering and storing a motorcycle or car that cannot be moved. Where you need a replacement vehicle and cannot afford to hire one yourself, the reasonable cost of credit hire is recoverable under Lagden v O'Connor, within the limits in Dimond v Lovell. We arrange it and recover the cost from the at-fault insurer.
- How quickly should I act after being doored?
- Quickly, mainly because of the evidence. The legal time limits are long (three years for injury, six years for vehicle damage), but helmet-cam and dashcam footage overwrites within hours and street CCTV is held for only 14 to 31 days. Reporting any injury to a GP or A&E early also helps both your recovery and the claim.
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