For bicyclists, the threat that someone will fail to look before opening their car door into the bike lane is a serious one. Some studies have found that “getting doored” accounts for as much as 80 percent of incidents between bikes and cars.

As a lawyer and a cyclist, I know firsthand how serious this threat can be. I also know that there are laws meant to protect cyclists, and there are strategies that cyclists can use to help protect their interests if they have been doored.