Most drivers have experienced close calls when opening their car doors into a traffic lane. If not extremely cautious, they risk an accident with a passing vehicle. While carelessly opening a door into a passing car will cause property damage and possible injury, opening a car door into a motorcycle is likely to result in far more disastrous consequences. If you have been seriously injured in an open door motorcycle accident in New Jersey, you need more than urgent medical care — you need the skilled legal counsel of the excellent attorneys at Nagel Rice LLP.
At Nagel Rice We Know How To Win
If you have suffered the misery of severe injury, or have had to deal with the tragic wrongful death of a loved one because of an open door motorcycle accident, you are entitled to substantial compensation. At Nagel Rice, we are dedicated to fighting to see that you obtain the damages you deserve. Not only does our legal team have outstanding credentials, including being listed among the Top 100 by National Trial Lawyers, we have a track record of winning multi-million dollar lawsuits for over three decades.
We take our commitment to work in your best interests very seriously. In order to build a strong case we will:
- Investigate the site of the accident
- Examine police records and medical reports
- Prepare and file any necessary documents
- Interview any witnesses
- Consult with experts who may be able to bolster your case
While you concentrate on recovering, we will take care of all communications with insurance adjusters and opposing attorneys. Once we file a lawsuit, we will use our significant talents to your advantage both in and out of the courtroom.
New Jersey Law Is On Your Side
According to New Jersey Law:
“No person shall open the door of a motor vehicle on the side of the vehicle that is facing
the street or highway and is available to moving traffic unless it is reasonably safe to do
so, and the door can be opened without interfering with or obstructing the movement of
traffic.”
In most cases, the driver of the car is considered liable for your injuries, though if you were speeding or driving recklessly at the time of the accident the law may hold you partially responsible. Even if you are found to bear some of the blame, however, under New Jersey’s Comparative Negligence law you will still be able to collect compensatory damages — as long as the portion of blame assigned to you by the court does not exceed 50 percent.
Determining fault in open door motorcycle accidents can be quite complicated. This is why it’s essential to have a savvy lawyer fighting to protect your rights.
Reasons for Open Door Motorcycle Accidents
There may be more than one cause for any accident involving personal injury. The following are possible contributory factors for open door motorcycle accidents:
- Car driver’s failure to look for oncoming vehicles before opening the door
- Car driver’s failure to notice the motorcycle because of its small size
- Double-parked cars or trucks from which drivers are rushing to dash in and out
- Motorcyclists making right turns — they have to be in the right lane which puts them dangerously close to parked cars, and they are not on the left side of their vehicles like other drivers which makes them more vulnerable to injury
- Poor visibility due to bad weather or time of day
- Bad road conditions, like potholes, that force motorcyclists to swerve suddenly
The last reason listed can complicate your case since liability may lie with the county, city, or state responsible for maintaining the roadway. Therefore, we may be filing your lawsuit against that public entity rather than against the driver of the parked car. This is another situation in which having an experienced personal injury attorney is critical.
Serious Injuries in a Open Door Motorcycle Accident
Because the rider of a motorcycle is not enclosed in the protective metal cage of a car, he or she is extremely vulnerable to injury in any sort of collision. Even if stopped at a red light, it is possible for the unexpected opening door to smash directly into the cyclist, throw the cyclist off the vehicle onto the pavement, or even trap the cyclist under the weight of the motorcycle. Catastrophic injuries that may occur as a result include:
- Spinal cord injury or other neurological damage
- Internal bleeding, lacerations, friction burns (road rash)
- Loss of limb or organ
- Scarring or other permanent disfigurement
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Wrongful death
Any of these serious injuries may be life-altering, leading to permanent disability and major readjustment to such awful new realities as being blind or deaf, paralyzed, an amputee, or cognitively impaired. The pain of losing a family member to wrongful death incalculable. No matter what harm has come to you through an open door motorcycle accident, you can depend on the attorneys at Nagel Rice to treat you with customized care, respect, and compassion for all you have been (and are going) through.
Contact Nagel Rice Attorneys: We Will Fight To Win You the Damages You Deserve
We know all too well how devastating open door motorcycle accidents can be and are sensitive to the fact that you have suffered financial as well as physical and emotional trauma. We will fight aggressively to obtain the economic and non-economic compensation you need for:
- Medical and rehabilitation costs
- Lost income, present and future
- Pain and suffering
- Extended nursing care
- Alterations to make your home accessible
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
We will provide you with superior legal representation and will charge you no attorneys’ fees until we win your case. The sooner you contact one of our offices, the sooner we can provide you with the support you need.
Nagel Rice LLP helps their clients with their open door motorcycle accident claims throughout New Jersey including Bergen County, Essex County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris County, Passaic County, and Sussex County.