Q: Am I at fault in car door incident with friend's reverse?
My friend was driving a car, and I was about to get in. I opened the door, and my friend suddenly reversed without realizing I had opened the door. This resulted in the side mirror of the car next to ours being taken out. Surveillance video shows the car reversing as I opened the door and that my friend realized but didn't hit the brakes. There's damage to both cars, no police report was filed, and insurance information has been exchanged. Could I be at fault in this situation?
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A:
This situation is a bit complicated, but you're not automatically at fault just because you opened the door. In general, the person in control of the moving vehicle holds more responsibility in a parking or reversing situation. Since your friend was reversing and didn’t stop after seeing the door open, that decision could carry more weight when it comes to fault. Surveillance video showing your friend failing to brake after noticing the open door supports that.
That said, insurance companies might still look at whether you exercised caution when opening the door. If you opened it quickly or without checking the surroundings, they might assign shared responsibility. But your role was passive compared to someone operating a moving vehicle, so your liability would likely be limited, if any at all.
Because no police report was filed, it may come down to how the insurance companies interpret the video and statements. You should document your version of the event in writing while it’s still fresh, just in case questions arise later. Stay honest and calm—this isn’t a criminal matter, but it does help to be clear about what happened.
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