Glossary
Dooring
A crash in which someone opens a parked car's door into the path of a cyclist or other road user. State laws, such as those in Texas and Florida, forbid opening a door into traffic unless it is safe.
General information, not legal advice. Talk to a licensed attorney in your state.
Quick answer
Dooring is a crash in which someone opens the door of a parked or stopped car into the path of a cyclist, scooter rider or other road user. State traffic laws generally forbid opening a door into traffic unless it can be done safely.
In a car accident claim#
Two state laws show the rule. In Florida, no one may open a door on a motor vehicle unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic, and a violation is a noncriminal traffic infraction punishable as a nonmoving violation. In Texas, a person may not open a car door on the side available to moving traffic unless the door may be opened in reasonable safety without interfering with the movement of other traffic.
Breaking a traffic safety law like this can be strong evidence of fault, and in some states it can support Negligence per se. Breaking a safety law, such as a traffic or trucking rule, that was meant to prevent the kind of harm that happened. In many states it proves negligence or strongly points to it. Glossary. The person who opened the door may be a passenger rather than the driver, and whether the car's insurance covers that person can depend on the policy. The rider's own conduct can also come up, for example riding very close to parked cars, under the state's Comparative negligence. A rule that splits blame between the people involved and cuts your recovery by your own share of fault. Glossary rule. Our guide to bicycle accidents covers dooring alongside other cycling crashes, and the accident types hub lists the rest.
Example#
Related terms#
Questions people ask
Who is at fault in a dooring accident?
Usually the person who opened the door, if it was not safe to do so. But fault is decided case by case, and the rider's share, if any, can reduce a recovery under the state's fault rule.
Does car insurance cover a dooring accident?
It can. Whether the car's liability coverage applies may depend on the policy and on who opened the door. The rider's own auto, medical payments or health coverage may also pay some bills.
Sources
- Florida Legislature, Florida Statutes § 316.2005 — opening and closing vehicle doors
- Texas Legislature, Transportation Code chapter 545 — § 545.418, opening vehicle doors
- Texas Legislature, Transportation Code § 545.418 — as of October 2026
Last reviewed October 29, 2026 by the Accident Claim Facts editorial team. Found an error? Tell us.
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