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Cyclist wins lawsuit for faulty road
Attention Texas Department of Transportation, you better maintain our roads because a new precedent has been set, and I think it’s a good thing for cyclists. …
A county government in Washington state has agreed to pay $3.5 million to bicyclist who fell and suffered permanent brain injuries on a road the county promoted as a bike route.
King County, home of the city of Seattle, agreed to the out-of-court settlement to pay for life-long care for the Jeffrey Totten, who was 31 years old at the time of the accident in September 2006.
The lawsuit alleged that the county promoted Novelty Hill Road as a bike route but failed to maintain it in a safe condition.
Totten was on a training ride with friends when he struck a hole that had developed around a survey monument in the road. He was in a coma for seven months, spent time in a group home and now lives in a group home where he receives around the clock care.
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By Jonathan Horak
April 16, 2009 11:18 AM | Link to this
Or, worse: TxDOT could stop designing/designating cycling facilities to avoid potential liabilities.