Dooring Motorcycle Accidents
Dooring Motorcycle Accidents in Wisconsin:
What Riders and Families Need to Know
If you or someone you love has been injured—or worse—in a motorcycle accident caused by someone suddenly opening a car door into your path, you're not alone. These types of crashes, known as dooring accidents, can be devastating. One moment you're riding through town, enjoying the road—and the next, you’re flying over handlebars because someone didn’t think to check their mirror.
At McCarthy Motorcycle Law, we understand the pain, the anger, and the overwhelming questions that come after a motorcycle dooring accident. We’re not just lawyers. We’re riders, advocates, and people who genuinely care about getting justice for motorcyclists in Wisconsin. If you’re looking for Wisconsin’s motorcycle injury attorneys, you’ve come to the right place.
What Is a Dooring Motorcycle Accident?
A dooring accident happens when the occupant of a parked vehicle opens a door directly into the path of an oncoming motorcyclist. The rider often doesn’t have enough time—or space—to react, resulting in a high-speed collision with the door or a crash trying to swerve to avoid it. Either way, the results can be catastrophic.
While many people associate dooring with bicycle crashes, motorcyclists are also at serious risk—especially in urban areas like Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay, or in busy downtown strips throughout Wisconsin’s small towns.
Why Dooring Accidents Are So Dangerous for Motorcyclists
Let’s be real: a car door might seem harmless to someone stepping out of a vehicle, but to a motorcyclist going 25–45 mph, it might as well be a brick wall.
When a motorcyclist hits a suddenly opened door:
There’s no crumple zone.
There’s no seatbelt or airbag.
There’s often no time to brake or avoid the impact.
What happens next can involve broken bones, brain injuries, spinal cord damage, or worse. And in too many cases, families are left mourning a rider who never had a chance.
Motorcycle dooring accidents are preventable. And when they happen, someone needs to be held accountable.
Common Injuries in Dooring Motorcycle Accidents
Because dooring collisions involve blunt trauma at relatively high speeds, they can cause severe injuries, such as:
These injuries don’t just lead to medical bills—they can change lives. You might be unable to work. You might need surgeries, rehabilitation, or ongoing care. You might never ride again.
We get that. And we’ll fight to get you the compensation you deserve.
Who’s at Fault in a Dooring Accident?
In most cases, the driver or passenger who opened the door is at fault. Wisconsin law is very clear about this. According to Wisconsin Statute § 346.94(20), “No person shall open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so.”
In other words: if they opened a door into traffic—and caused a crash—they're responsible.
But here’s the frustrating part: insurance companies will still try to pin blame on the rider. They might claim you were riding too fast, too close, or not paying attention. That’s why having a motorcycle accident lawyer who understands how to fight back and prove fault in dooring cases is crucial.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Dooring Accident in Wisconsin
If you’ve been hit by an opened car door while riding, here’s what to do:
1. Get Medical Attention Immediately
Even if you think you’re okay, get checked out. Some injuries (like internal bleeding or concussions) don’t show up right away.
2. Document Everything
If you can:
Take photos of the scene.
Get the name and contact info of the driver/passenger.
Collect witness statements if anyone saw the crash.
File a police report.
3. Don’t Talk to the Insurance Company Alone
Their job is to save themselves money—not to look out for you. Let an experienced motorcycle injury attorney handle it.
4. Contact McCarthy Motorcycle Law
We’ll listen. We’ll answer your questions. And we’ll tell you the truth about what you’re facing and how we can help.
What Kind of Compensation Can You Get?
If someone else's carelessness caused your motorcycle dooring crash, you may be entitled to significant compensation, including:
Medical expenses (past and future)
Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Permanent disability or disfigurement
Property damage to your motorcycle and gear
Wrongful death damages if you lost a loved one
Don’t accept a lowball offer from the insurance company. Don’t let them talk you into thinking your pain isn’t worth much. We’ve helped riders and their families recover millions—and we know how to make the system work for you.
Dooring Motorcycle Wrongful Death Cases
If you’ve lost a spouse, child, sibling, or parent in a dooring motorcycle crash, we are so sorry. There are no words that can take away that pain. But what we can do is help you fight for answers—and for justice.
Under Wisconsin wrongful death law, surviving family members may be entitled to compensation for:
Funeral and burial expenses
Loss of financial support
Loss of companionship
Emotional distress
These cases are emotional, difficult, and often met with resistance from insurers. We handle them with compassion—and tenacity.
How McCarthy Motorcycle Law Can Help
We’re not your average personal injury firm. At McCarthy Motorcycle Law, motorcycle accident law isn’t a sideline—it’s what we do. We ride. We advocate. And we fight like hell for people who’ve been hurt or left behind because of someone else’s carelessness.
Here’s what sets us apart:
Real riding experience—all our lawyers ride, or used to ride, so we know what you’re talking about.
Real trial experience—we don’t just settle cases, we win them.
Compassionate counsel—you’re not just another file number.
Direct access to your lawyer—you work with us, not a junior associate or a robot.
Technology-driven practice—we keep our overhead low and our firepower high.
We represent clients all across Wisconsin, from Milwaukee to Eau Claire, from Kenosha to Wausau—because riders are everywhere. And every rider deserves a lawyer who actually gives a damn.
We’re Wisconsin’s Motorcycle Injury Attorneys
We’re proud to be known as Wisconsin’s motorcycle law firm. That title wasn’t given to us—it was earned, case by case, by standing up for people who ride.
If you’ve been hurt in a motorcycle dooring accident, or if someone you love was killed because a driver didn’t bother to look before opening a door, reach out. We’ll give you a free, no-obligation case evaluation. We’ll listen. We’ll be honest. And if we can help, we’ll fight like hell to make it right.
Get a Free Case Review Today
Contact McCarthy Motorcycle Law now.
We offer free, confidential case evaluations—and if we take your case, you won’t pay a dime unless we win.
You’ve been through enough. Let us take it from here.