Marta was cycling through Dublin city centre on a weekday morning, heading to meetings near a busy office building. The traffic wasn't particularly heavy, but she was cycling carefully, as she always does. Without warning, a car door swung open directly into her path. She hit the door at speed, flew over her handlebars, and landed hard on the road. Her left shoulder took the brunt of the impact, her bicycle was badly bent, and she lay there stunned with other cyclists stopping to help.
The driver got out and seemed shocked. When Marta, in pain and shaken, explained what had happened, the driver initially denied opening the door into traffic. He claimed she must have swerved into it. Marta knew this wasn't true — she'd been hit while riding straight. She was taken to hospital by ambulance, where X-rays showed a fractured collarbone. The hospital stay and follow-up physiotherapy would take months, and her bike was a write-off.
Marta made a claim for her injuries and losses. The driver's insurance company initially resisted, relying on his account of events. However, witness statements from other cyclists who saw the incident corroborated Marta's version. The evidence showed the door had been opened carelessly into traffic. The insurance company eventually accepted liability and settled the claim to cover her medical treatment, physiotherapy costs, and a replacement bicycle. Marta was able to focus on recovery without the added stress of fighting for compensation.