Injured bicyclist sues King County over hazard in path

A Seattle man is suing King County for $20 million, saying that debilitating injuries he suffered in a bicycle accident resulted from a poorly maintained metal plate in a county-designated bike path.

Jeffrey Totten was injured Sept. 4, 2006, while on a bike ride with friends, according to a statement issued by his lawyer.

Natasha Jones, with the King County Executive's Office, said that it was too soon to comment on the case and that attorneys for the county were reviewing it.

Totten was with a group riding down Novelty Hill Road in Redmond when the front wheel of his bike hit a hole in the road caused by crumbling asphalt around a metal monument cover placed in the path.

Totten's wife, Danielle Leavell, said the impact catapulted her husband, and he landed on the pavement, striking his head. Despite his bicycle helmet, Totten suffered a traumatic brain injury and was in a coma for several weeks.

Once an engineer with an Issaquah consulting firm, Totten now lives in a California care facility, where he is still trying to recover from the accident, said Leavell, who spent eight months in California to be near her husband.

Now Leavell, who has a commercial photography business locally, travels regularly to California to visit him. He is still undergoing extensive therapy and can no longer walk unaided.

His family and friends plan to hold an online auction beginning next month to raise money for his medical care.

Leavell said she believes that the county should have done a better job of maintaining the bike path, particularly since there is such a push by local governments to get people out of cars and onto bicycles and the accident happened on a designated bike path.

"It comes down to responsibility," she said. "That's what I feel very passionate about."

HOW TO HELP

For information on helping Jeffrey Totten recover, visit jefftotten.cmarket.com.