What to Do Immediately If You Hit Your Garage Door with a Car

It is a common accident: you back out of the garage before the door is fully open, or slip on the brake pedal, hitting the door panels. Beyond the dent in your bumper, a crashed garage door is a serious mechanical hazard.

Immediately Assess the Damage

Follow these steps immediately after an impact:

1. Do Not Attempt to Operate the Door: Operating a bent or misaligned door can snap the springs, burn out the opener motor, or cause the door to fall out of the tracks.
2. Check the Tracks and Rollers: Look to see if the rollers are still securely inside the tracks or if the vertical tracks are bent.
3. Call for a Safety Inspection: A professional technician will inspect the tension of the springs and cables to ensure they are safe, and replace damaged panels or track sections.