SAMMAMISH, Wash. — A woman hit by a cyclist while on the popular East Lake Sammamish trail in May is now out of the hospital and is taking legal action against the cyclist.
"Their lives are completely changed,” said Chris Davis, the principal attorney with Davis Law Group. “For the worst."
A camera captured the crash between a pedestrian and bicyclist on the East Lake Sammamish Trail May 27.
“The impact threw her several feet, and she landed on the pavement and hit her head on the pavement and hit her head on the concrete,” said Davis. “She was subsequently diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury."
Chris Davis is the attorney representing 56-year-old Tracie Tran, the woman struck by the cyclist. A crash that Davis said hospitalized his client for 150 days and left her with long-term health impacts.
"She's got motor problems, neurological problems, she's got cognitive functioning problems, emotional issues and of course pain from the impact," said Davis.
According to the Sammamish police report on the incident. The bicyclist told the responding officer he had moved left to pass Tran but there was oncoming traffic, so he couldn't move further. The cyclist said Tran made a sudden turn into his path and he wasn't able to stop or avoid her as he was riding about 15 miles per hour, which is the speed limit for county trails for people on wheels.
"Fifteen miles per hour is a substantial speed and, as this case shows, can cause serious and life-changing injuries," said Davis.
Tran's legal team is seeking $8 million to $10 million in damages from the bicyclist. At this time, it's not taking any legal action toward the City of Sammamish or King County, which oversees the trail.
According to the county, there have been no other reported crashes on the trail since May and it has also installed a mix of 26 speed limit and regulation signs on the trail since.
KING 5 reached out to the law firm representing the bicyclist for comment but has not heard back.
Davis expects the trial to begin next fall.