The Critical Garage Door Safety Alert: How 2025’s Sensor Malfunctions Are Creating Major Liability Issues for Long Island Homeowners

Long Island homeowners are facing an unprecedented wave of garage door safety sensor failures that could expose them to serious legal and financial liability. If an accident occurs due to non-compliance with safety regulations, you could be held legally responsible. This liability could lead to costly lawsuits, medical bills, and long-term financial consequences. As we move through 2025, understanding these risks and taking immediate action has never been more critical.

The Growing Crisis: Why Garage Door Sensors Are Failing

Faulty sensors experience occasional malfunction due to internal errors. Normal wear and tear causes sensors to degrade over time, affecting performance. Dirty or broken electronics and sensors can impair function due to accumulation of dust or physical damage. What makes 2025 particularly concerning is the convergence of multiple factors affecting sensor reliability.

With proper maintenance, garage door sensors can last 10–15 years. Regularly cleaning the lenses, keeping them aligned, and checking for damaged wires can help extend their lifespan. However, many Long Island homeowners are discovering that sensors installed in the early 2010s are now reaching their failure point simultaneously, creating a widespread safety crisis.

Legal Requirements and Homeowner Liability

Failure to comply with UL 325 can result in fines, legal liability, and increased insurance premiums, as the lack of proper safety features can lead to severe injuries or even fatalities. Operating a garage door without safety sensors is not only dangerous but also illegal under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and UL 325 standards.

The legal implications extend beyond simple compliance. Homeowners’ insurance policies may not cover accidents involving garage doors if the safety sensors are missing or not functioning properly. This lack of coverage could result in significant out-of-pocket expenses in the event of an accident.

Warning Signs Your Sensors Are Failing

Long Island homeowners should watch for these critical warning signs:

• If the sensor lights are off entirely or blinking, it could indicate power supply problems or misalignment
• Symptoms often manifest as a blinking sensor light, a door that won’t close, or erratic behavior
• Misalignment can lead to the garage door behaving erratically, such as stopping midway, not closing, or reversing for no apparent reason
• Water can short your sensors and cause them to malfunction

The Insurance and Liability Nightmare

Injuries caused by malfunctioning or bypassed garage door sensors have led to serious lawsuits. However, injuries caused by preventable safety failures—like a non-functioning sensor—may be excluded, especially if the system was knowingly left in disrepair. Liability coverage may apply if you’re found not negligent, but insurers may deny claims if you failed to maintain a legally required safety device.

The financial stakes are enormous. If a product poses a “substantial product hazard” or creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, then manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers have a legal duty to report it to the CPSC immediately. Failing to report can lead to substantial civil penalties (in recent years, exceeding $10 million in some cases) and (in extreme situations) even criminal liability.

Professional Solutions for Long Island Homeowners

For Long Island residents experiencing sensor issues, professional Garage door repair Long Island, NY services are essential. Your experience will be open, honest, and helpful when you work with Eidelberg Garage Doors. The goal is to provide garage door solutions that work for your home, with clear communication from the start. From the moment you call us to the time we are done with the final installation, our licensed technicians give you clear communication, honest pricing, and thorough workmanship.

At Eidelberg, your garage door should work for you, not against you. That’s why we’re committed to providing the highest level of service and support to ensure your garage door functions correctly and securely. Located in Nassau County and serving the Long Island area, they understand the unique challenges facing local homeowners.

Immediate Action Steps

Don’t wait for a catastrophic failure. It’s against UL 325 safety standards and may violate local codes. A licensed technician won’t remove or bypass required sensors because doing so creates a serious hazard and liability and can void the opener warranty or fail an inspection.

Perform a quick auto-reverse test and sensor test: Put something solid in the door’s path to make sure the auto-reverse works. Next, wave your foot in front of the sensor. If your door fails either test, your opener likely doesn’t comply with garage door opener safety codes and should be serviced.

The 2025 sensor malfunction crisis requires immediate attention from Long Island homeowners. With legal liability, insurance coverage, and family safety at stake, professional inspection and repair of garage door safety sensors isn’t just recommended—it’s essential for protecting your home, your family, and your financial future.