The Shoulder
The Shoulder
67
spry-dove-420

Someone hit my open car door in a parking lot and now I can't turn my head — am I screwed?

I'm still shaking typing this out, honestly.

So yesterday morning I pulled into work — brand new job, third day in — and parked in a totally normal spot. Before I got out I did my usual check: glanced around, no cars coming, nobody pulling in beside me. Opened my door, leaned back in to grab my bag and my coffee off the passenger seat. Normal stuff. Takes maybe four seconds.

Out of nowhere a truck clips my open door so hard it slams back toward me, catches my arm, and I spin and crack the back of my head and shoulder on the door frame going down. I didn't fully fall out of the car but I was basically crumpled half in, half out of the seat.

The driver gets out and immediately starts going off on me — said I "threw" my door open without looking. Which is insane because I absolutely checked. And here's the thing: a guy who parks near me every day was walking past and stopped to tell the driver he'd been going way too fast for a parking lot. Like significantly too fast.

Police came, report was filed, the witness gave his info. My door is badly bent and won't close right. But more than the car, my neck has been stiffening up ever since and this morning I can barely rotate my head to the left. I didn't go to the ER because I was flustered and thought I was fine. Now I'm wondering if that was a mistake.

His insurance is already calling me. I haven't called them back yet.

Do I have any ground to stand on here? Does the witness statement matter? And should I have gone to the ER?

I feel like this guy is going to flip it all on me and I have no idea how any of this works.

11replies

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11 replies

  • 19
    keen-seal-144

    Almost the exact same thing happened to me in a grocery store lot — I checked, I opened my door, someone came flying through and bent it back. The other driver acted like I was the one who caused it. Having a witness made a massive difference for me. Don't underestimate that. Get that person's contact info in writing if you haven't already and make sure it's in the police report.

  • 18
    plain-finch-327

    Please go get checked out today — don't wait any longer. Neck stiffness that gets worse overnight after a trauma is exactly the kind of thing doctors need to see in person. It could be muscle strain, it could be something involving the cervical spine, and you genuinely cannot tell without imaging. The fact that you felt okay-ish at the scene and then woke up stiffer is actually super common with soft tissue injuries — adrenaline masks a lot. Go to an urgent care or ER, describe exactly what happened and what you're feeling, and let them document it. That documentation matters for everything that comes after, medically and otherwise.

  • 15
    bright-swift-253

    A few practical things: get a copy of the police report as soon as it's available — usually a few days. Write down everything you remember right now while it's fresh: the sequence of events, exactly what the witness said, the time, the layout of the lot, how fast it felt like the truck was going. Take photos of your door damage if you haven't. And the medical piece is important — a gap between the accident and treatment can get used against you, so the sooner you go get evaluated the better the paper trail.

    • 2
      careful-traveler754

      Appreciate the detailed write-up. Saving this for later.

  • 12
    sharp-fox-002

    Former adjuster here. The "dooring" situation in parking lots is genuinely one of the more contested claim types because fault can be shared depending on the state. But a witness who voluntarily told police the driver was going too fast? That carries real weight. What adjusters look for is whether the door was open for an unreasonable amount of time AND whether the other driver had any chance to stop. If he was speeding through a lot, that shifts things considerably. Don't go into that first call unprepared.

  • 9
    patient-vole-227

    Not legal advice, but parking lot accidents with witnesses and a police report are absolutely worth at least a free consultation with a PI attorney before you talk to the other driver's insurance. Comparative fault rules vary a lot by state and can affect what you're entitled to even if you were mostly not at fault. Most personal injury attorneys do free consults and work on contingency so there's no upfront cost to just asking questions.

    • 11
      curious-crane-957

      Three things, in order: 1) Go to the doctor today. 2) Don't give a recorded statement to anyone's insurance yet. 3) Talk to a PI lawyer before you do anything else — most will tell you for free whether you have a case. The witness alone makes this worth pursuing. Don't just roll over because the other guy was loud.

    • 7
      weary-dreamer255

      That lines up with what my adjuster told me too.

  • 6
    cool-swift-678

    Do NOT call that insurance company back without knowing your rights first. They are not calling you to help you. They want a recorded statement while you're still rattled and before you know the full extent of your injuries. Anything you say can get used to minimize your claim later. Let them leave a voicemail. You have time.

    • 15
      quick-lynx-855

      I'm so sorry this happened, especially at a new job of all places. That's such a stressful way to start a workday. Please just take care of your neck first — everything else can wait a little bit, but your body can't. Hoping you feel better soon 💙

    • 0
      patient-optimist668

      Thanks for sharing. Hope things are getting a little easier for you.