King County will pay $10 million to a cyclist nearly six years after he suffered a catastrophic cervical spinal injury when he struck a metal post on the Green River Trail in Tukwila.
Carl Schwartz, a retired hospital administrator who was an experienced cyclist, was biking at Cecil Moses Park in March 2017 when he hit a bollard on the path. He was thrown over the handlebars and landed on his head, his attorney Chris Davis said Thursday.
Schwartz, 67 at the time, fractured two vertebrae and was left a quadriplegic. He was dependent on a ventilator for around seven months after the crash, Davis said.
In a lawsuit filed in 2017, Schwartz and his attorney contended the metal post — typically used to deter cars from entering a trail — had poor visibility, no warning signs and was installed in an "unusual" location. It was not near an intersection or trailhead, didn't meet federal or state safety standards, and it endangered trail users, Davis said.
"While we may never know the exact circumstances surrounding the cause of Mr. Schwartz's injury on our trail, King County Parks wants to express its sympathy to the Schwartz family, and our continuing commitment to make our system as safe as reasonably possible for our park and trail users," King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks Director Christie True said in a statement.
Since the crash, Schwartz requires 24-hour care, most of which his wife has provided, Davis said. The family has been struggling financially, and the settlement will "drastically improve" their lives and ability to hire people to help, he said.
"We're relieved King County has finally taken responsibility for this horrific accident. This should have never happened to Carl and we don't want anything like this to happen to anyone ever again," Schwartz and his wife, Sherry Schwartz, said in a statement shared by their attorney.
