Electric scooter kid went flying after hitting my car door

[LoveMyPiano]

I was just about to get out of my car - door opening onto the pavement - this afternoon, not dark by any stretch of the imagination, although the car door does have a light that stays on even when ignition off.
I had seen a girl (I think I know her, she's 8 or 9) go zooming past "up" the road - wearing black, on her no-doubt Christmas present, large electric scooter.
I pushed the door open, not fully, an was about to get out when I heard a skidding sound and she hit the car door and went flying onto the ground.
When I look afterwards, the tyre marks were about 2/3 of the way across the pavement, closer to my car. Had the door been fully opened, it would have been badly damaged, I think - or she might have been.
She rolled on the ground but didn't hit her head (no helmet) and seemed to want to check her scooter thoroughly herself.

I didn't say sorry - more like "Oh God!" - and checked she was OK, briefly saying that she was very difficult to see, but that's all, even though I think a whole lot more.
This will no doubt come back to me as "she was knocked off her scooter by that woman up the road" etc - but AIBU to think it was her own fault, even allowing for the fact she is a young child?

This this isn’t a scooter it is an electric scooter some of which can do v fast and are illegal on pavements

I've had 4 friends nastily injured from drivers opening doors without double checking. One was jogging on the pavement and it caused a 2nd trimester miscarriage, two broken collarbones from cycling on the road, and badly broken wrist requiring surgery from cycling.

All 4 drivers claimed it wasn't possibly their fault.

I think you need to get legal advice on this op. Yes, she shouldn't have been riding an e-scooter on the pavement, but you are to blame for opening the door. If someone is injured in a RTA, normally the police need to be called. I don't know if this counts as a RTA but you could be in trouble for not reporting.

I don't know if anyone suggesting I should have anticipated another has missed that she came from behind me...
What she probably did was to the end of the road, and back down... why should I expect that? Although I had checked with my mirror and looking back.. If she was going 12mph, that's 18 feet per second, so at which point could I put my head on the right way?

opening the door across a pavement carries a significant risk to any pavement user.From your description your car door extended over at least a third of the pavement.

I think some posters are commenting on the seemingly overwhelming lack of compassion for a young child, irrespective of the rights and wrong of the situation and the child's parents apparently being 'that' type

A third is good.... and it wasn't fully open. She could have swerved around it, if she 1) had the skill/had her wits about her [wasn't 8 years old] - 2) wasn't going so fast that 1) wouldn't matter - she could have stopped even?
How do YOU get out of a car onto a pavement - ejector seat?

You know --- I haven't said anything like that (posters on here have).
I had some compassion and concern in the moment, but I have actually surprised myself with the low level of that compassion and concern, I am normally "better" than that. Living here, various experiences -including from that child and her mates - has knocked that out of me, sadly.

[Example - a few weeks ago, she was on the road with her friends - and I mean the road --- and I pedalled past on my bike. One of them started to dash between two parked cars to come over to be a little - and I just shooed them back to the path.... The charming " OFF!!" rang in my ears as I went home. And THEY know where I live - I am not even sure where they do; weird if I did.]

My kid was falling off ponies at that age - no-one had to take her home, ring the Horse-Police, or worried about being sued...

You don't park where you are opening on to the pavement. You park with the flow of traffic not against it. With your advanced driving qualification surely you know that. Don't need an ejector seat just some common sense.

'How do You get out of a car onto a pavement.'
With extreme caution!
I think if you choose yo open a door across the pavement, you are going to be automatically responsible for any injuries arising.

Have you looked at your cam yet as that will solve any guilt complexes you might have.

I live in a country where escooters are legal (on the road) and from what I can see, the speed is about the same as a bicycle. It's legal in the UK for children to ride bikes on the pavement. So, if your opening the car door caused a collision in this case, presumably exactly the same thing could have happened if a child had been riding a bike along the pavement? It sounds like you were not cautious enough.

In the Netherlands, to pass a driving test you have to demonstrate the "Dutch reach" - where you use the opposite hand to your doorside hand to open the door (so, in the UK, this would mean using your left hand to open the car door on your right) because this forces you to twist your whole body round, which in turn forces you to look backwards, ensuring you see anyone coming. They should start requiring this in the UK.

As a motorist, it's your responsibility to avoid injuring people on the pavement. No, she shouldn't have been using an escooter, but she could have been injured if she'd been on a bike or kickboard scooter as well.

You really want to take no blame but you are at fault. You’re the person protected by a bigger, more dangerous, heavier vehicle.

Only on MN could someone getting out of their car be blamed for a child riding an illegal e-scooter into it at high speed.

You checked the pavement was clear, noting someone zooming away from you on an illegal e-scooter.

Said person happened to have turned round in the middle of the pavement (unexpectedly) and because these illegal scooters move fast she was upon you as you were exiting your stationary vehicle.

She had no protective clothing and no Road sense as she is a child riding an illegal adult machine without supervision.

I wouldn't be following anything up.
I wouldn't be reporting it to the police.
I wouldn't be expecting the child to fess up to falling off (in case her mum said she's not allowed in it again). I think she will keep schtum and pretend it never happened.

So I would go about my daily business. I wouldn't report to my insurers as it will be treated as a claim (despite no compensation/claims money changing hands) and your premium will go up.

She will learn from this and keep well away from car doors in future. Sounds like no real damage was done. Thank goodness. The Young thing they are invincible! Glad she got up and was ok.

As I walked to the shops this morning, I was thinking how well the police would do around here if they fined everyone parked against the flow of traffic. Each road has wall to wall cars parked, and people I imagine park outside or near their own house in whatever direction they are coming and can get a parking space.
I was aware of this law but I thought it only pertained to stopping on highways or where there are occasional cars. I'm parked the right way today, but if I approached home from the opposite direction and my space was free, I'd use it and be facing the wrong way.

I wonder in this instance, if the police were informed about the incident, would they seize the e-Scooter? Has the OP done anything more than just been a bit careless, if child is not injured, or might they face a fine?

Totally agree.

What kind of stupid parents buy their child an illegal e-scooter and let them use it when they cannot control it ? (Far too many judging by some of the paths and roads round here, and we live in a leafy suburb)

nobody thinks it’s ok to ride an e-scooter on the pavement however children are lawfully able to ride bikes on pavements (which are similar). People in cars naturally have a responsibility to keep others safe.

I am glad your door wasn’t damaged. Hopefully she learns to look where she is going

You are at fault. You opened a car door and hit someone.
Read your highway code.

Is your car door damaged? I refuse to buy my boys one of these. Theyre illegal to use on public paths/roads. The other night, leaving work on a busy industrial estate with big lorries moving around, was a grown man on one of these dressed head to toe in black, no helmet and a tiny front light, driving up the road. No one on the path. Its unbelievable. Then further up i saw someone on a mobility scooter on the road, no lights, rush hour traffic swerving round him. These are adults.

what if the girl had been on her scooter and someone reversed off their drive and didnt see her dressed in black. It could have been much worse. Hopefully she will be much more cautious from now on. If her parents were going to come round they would’ve by now. Theyre probably more worried about you claiming off them for repairs.

Actually no they aren’t it is still illegal but under the age of 10 is under the age of legal responsibility

here it would be the parents in trouble

kick scooters can because the law is so old that bikes are covered but e scooters definitely aren’t allowed

it is a complicated though legally and no necessarily followed

Regardless of opinion you have been involved in a motoring accident and you should inform your insurance.

I was also under the impression that the police need to attend where any of the parties are injured

Just because the child is at fault, it does not mean the OP wasn't

Oh yes, thank god the car door wasn't damaged, thank god, (As an aside, thank god the child wasn't badly injured)

You seem to be more concerned with right and wrong rather than the potentially serious nature of the accident and the possibility of maiming or killing someone.

You knew there was a kid scooting round and you didn't proceed with adequate caution. I'd be vaguely with you if the kid had actually come from nowhere or round a corner or whatever, but your saw them already before you opened the door.

It's your fault, you have repeatedly admitted your fault ITT you just don't understand why it's your fault