Small crash who's at fault

keane16

This is the scenario:
There are two free parking spaces side by side in a public car park, Car A drives into the parking space on the left, parks handbreak on engine off, open door Car B comes around and into the second free parking space catching the drivers door of Car A as it opens. The is a small bit of damage to both cars probably slightly more to Car B.

Who is at fault?

keane16

keane16 wrote: »

This is the scenario:
There are two free parking spaces side by side in a public car park, Car A drives into the parking space on the left, parks handbreak on engine off, open door Car B comes around and into the second free parking space catching the drivers door of Car A as it opens. The is a small bit of damage to both cars probably slightly more to Car B.

Who is at fault?

I'll go with car B being at fault.

Edit: if the door was already fully open before the driver of car B was already entering the space, not if Car A opened the door while the other car was next to it or partially in the space.

Where To

50/50 I'd say.

As would the gardai

kirving

Always look in the mirror before opening the door. If you opened the door infrom of a cyclist, it would be your fault.

simit

Car B I reckon.

seamus

50/50 in the case described IMO. Both drivers should have taken steps to ensure that what they were doing was possible.

Car B would have seen car A park and should have predicted that the driver's door would open soon after parking.
Car A should have been more aware of their surroundings and checked that nobody was about to turn into the parking spot before they opened the door.

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

Does this sound right OP:

Car A didn't see Car B pulling into the space next to it.

Car B didn't see Car A opening the door.

If that's the case, sounds like fault is 50/50.

Gophur

50:50 and nothing to do with the Gardai.

keane16

BearNecessities wrote: »

Does this sound right OP:

Car A didn't see Car B pulling into the space next to it.

Car B didn't see Car A opening the door.

If that's the case, sounds like fault is 50/50.

Yes this is the case. However the speed limit in the car park is 5 K/ph should the driver of Car B have been in a possition to stop immediatly?

Mr. Presentable

I'd go with 50/50.

Another good reason for reversing into parking spaces.

keane16

Gophur wrote: »

50:50 and nothing to do with the Gardai.

Thats what I was thinking. I was driver of car A. I should have been more aware of the car entering the parking space. I had time to grab the handle of the door and try and close it before the other car hit it so surely the drive of car B should have had time to hit the breaks.

We did not inform the guards and swapped details. But I am happy to sort our own cars out, there is very little damage to either.

Del2005

Always inform the cops. Absolutely no need to call them but you have to drop into a station and report it.

OldmanMondeo

keane16 wrote: »

Yes this is the case. However the speed limit in the car park is 5 K/ph should the driver of Car B have been in a possition to stop immediatly?

Yeah, car B should have being going quite slow, same way as car A should have looked before opening the door.

50/50

Carter P Fly

The person opening the door has the responsibility to not hit anything whilst doing so.

If there is an empty space beside you there is a reasonable expectation that another car will pull into this space.

I would place blame on Car A.


Unfortunatly the OP is Car A so I cant say what I think about people who open their doors whilst you're trying to park in a spare space.

corktina

It depends on how near the truth the two inevitable versions are going to be.

Car A driver will be saying "my door was open and car b drove into it"

Car B driver will be saying "Car As door was opened as i drove in without CarA driver looking to see if it was clear to do so"

Unless one driver admits responsibility, I'd say you'll both have to settle on 50/50