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Burke-Gilman Trail walker files lawsuit against bicyclist

A portion of the Burke Gilman Trail in Seattle. (TIA-International-Photography, from Seattle.gov)

A woman who said she was hit by a biker on the Burke-Gilman Trail filed a legal complaint in King County Superior Court seeking economic damages.

The alleged incident happened the morning of May 25, 2016 along the trail section in Lake Forest Park.

The woman said the bicyclist “negligently and tortuously operated his bicycle in such a manner as to cause a collision with the plaintiff, who was walking on the Burke-Gilman Trail.” The woman said she was stuck without warning from behind.

The woman said she suffered personal injuries and economic damages, including lost wages and medical expenses. The extent of her injuries is not detailed in the complaint, filed March 5.

The complaint alleges violations of the King County Code, including section 7.12.295(A), which states people should not travel on the trail “greater than is reasonable and prudent.”

The code states travel at speeds in excess of 15 miles per hour “shall constitute in evidence a prima facie presumption that the person violated this section.”

Violations of that code are an $87 civil infraction. Any police officer can enforce the King County Code, though the officer has to see the violation to write a ticket, King County Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Ryan Abbott said.

The complaint does not indicate the cyclist was cited.

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