As detailed in previous posts on www.IllinoisBicycleLaw.com, it was the practice of the Illinois Department of Transportation to not track and account for the number of "doorings" that occurred in Illinois and to count them as motor vehicle collisions. IDOT's logic was that since the "doorings", by definition, occurred when the motor vehicle was not running, that this was not a typical collision. The problem with this is that the statistics on the number of "doorings" in Illinois was incomplete. This leads to a larger problem in that the public at large was not aware of how common and dangerous the "dooring" phenomena is in Illinois.
It was announced today that Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn has ordered IDOT to start counting "dooring" as a motor vehicle collision when compiling accident statistics. Per Gov. Quinn's order the fact that the motor vehicle may be turned off has no relation to the fact that the operator of the motor vehicle caused a collision with another permitted user of the roadway in a bicyclist.
The attorneys at Keating Law Offices have substantial experience in "dooring" cases and are currently handling several "dooring cases." Keating Law Offices was a part of the efforts to convince Governor Pat Quinn to change IDOT's policy and start tracking "doorings." If you have any questions regarding this post or an issue involving Illinois personal injury law, please contact Illinois Bicycle Attorney Mike Keating at 312-208-7702 or MKeating@KeatingLegal.com . All initial consultations are confidential and free.
Keating Law Offices are the premiere personal injury lawyers representing bicyclists injured in an accident in Illinois. The firm offers free consultations and there are no fees unless we win for you. Our attorneys have a long history of success representing clients injured in bike accidents in Chicago, the suburbs and throughout Illinois. The Illinois Bicycle Lawyers are committed to advocating for the rights of bicyclists and fighting for bicyclists injured in bike accidents.
