$800,000 Fatal Dooring Accident Recovery in Brooklyn

At East Broadway and Lorimer Street in Williamsburg, a car door swung open without warning into the path of a cyclist — knocking him under the wheels of a passing vehicle and taking his life.

Fatal Dooring Accident in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

A cyclist riding along East Broadway in Williamsburg was approaching Lorimer Street when a parked driver opened their car door directly into his path. The sudden obstruction left no time to stop or swerve. The impact knocked the cyclist off balance and into the adjacent travel lane, where a passing vehicle struck him. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Dooring accidents are among the most dangerous hazards cyclists face on New York City streets. Drivers are required by law to check for approaching cyclists before opening their doors into a traffic lane — a simple action that takes seconds and could have prevented this death.

Holding Multiple Parties Accountable for a Cycling Death

Our attorneys identified two liable parties: the parked driver who opened the door without checking for cyclists, and the driver of the passing vehicle who failed to maintain a safe distance from the parked cars along East Broadway. Both drivers bore responsibility for creating the chain of events that killed our client.

We retained an accident reconstruction expert who used the physical evidence, vehicle positions, and witness statements to establish the timeline of the collision. The reconstruction demonstrated that the parked driver opened the door approximately 1.5 seconds before impact — far too little time for any cyclist to react at normal riding speed.

"Opening a car door without looking is a violation of New York traffic law — and when it forces a cyclist under the wheels of a passing car, the consequences are fatal. This was a preventable death caused by a moment of carelessness that cost a family everything." — Howard Raphaelson, Founding Partner

$800,000 Wrongful Death Recovery for a Brooklyn Cyclist

This $800,000 recovery on behalf of the cyclist's estate covers wrongful death damages including the loss of future earnings, the loss of parental guidance for surviving family members, funeral expenses, and the conscious pain and suffering endured before death. It holds both drivers accountable for a tragedy that a simple mirror check would have prevented.

If you lost a loved one in a cycling accident or dooring incident, our bicycle and pedestrian accident attorneys have the experience to pursue wrongful death claims against all responsible parties, and are ready to review your case.