A Seattle family has settled a lawsuit for $1.5 million in the wrongful death of a 39-year-old cyclist killed while commuting to work in Ballard.

Kevin Black, a molecular research scientist at the University of Washington and father of two, was killed by a van as he rode his bicycle to work in Ballard on Feb. 4, 2009. The collision occurred at 24th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 65th Street as Black was riding southbound in the bicycle lane.

A driver of a van owned by Ambient Control Company, a refrigeration and HVAC company, made an abrupt U-turn, causing Black to strike the van; the van’s tire then rolled over him. Black is survived by his daughters Megan, 15 and Emily, 12.

“Kevin was an experienced cyclist and commuted daily on his bicycle,” said Seattle attorney James S. Rogers, who represented the estate of Kevin Black.
“It’s clear that the driver of the van did not see Kevin. But as more and more people choose to commute by bicycle, it is critical that drivers understand they share our roadways with cyclists. This was a preventable tragedy.”

On May 16, 2011, Gov. Christine Gregoire signed the “Vulnerable User” bill (Senate Bill 5326) into law. The “Vulnerable User” law creates new penalties for drivers whose negligent actions proximately cause the death, great bodily harm or substantial bodily harm of “vulnerable users” such as cyclists and pedestrians using our public roadways. This law will go into effect on July 1, 2012.