Cyclist Doored in Bike Lane — Hit-and-Run
Injuries Severe soft tissue trauma, nerve damage, knee and ankle injuries
Our client was riding in a designated bike lane on a major Boston avenue when a rear passenger door of a commercial SUV swung open directly into her path. She struck the door and was thrown from her vehicle. The passengers stepped over her, told her she “needed to be more careful,” and walked away. The driver checked on her briefly, then got back in the vehicle and drove off without providing any identifying information.
The insurer denied liability. It claimed our client was not in the bike lane and disputed that the driver fled the scene. The police report said otherwise. Dispatch notes logged in real time documented a hit in the bike lane and confirmed the vehicle drove off. Officers broadcast the plate to other units — standard procedure for a hit-and-run. We built the demand around the official record and Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90, Section 14, which places the legal burden on the person opening the door, not the cyclist. The driver also violated M.G.L. c. 90, § 24(2)(a) by leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury.
Our client lost all sensation in her left arm for weeks due to a severe hematoma at the impact site. She could not lean on the arm, could not sleep without waking from numbness, and still carries a visible indentation where the door struck her. The case resolved for a confidential settlement in the high six figures.
