Cyclist Sues Comcast After Being Clotheslined By Low-Hanging Cable Line

Image courtesy of Mr.TinDC

If you think having an unsightly, low-hanging cable line in your backyard is a nuisance, try running into one at neck-level while riding your bike down the street.

Last week, an Oregon man sued Comcast and a Portland garbage company over a Feb. 2015 incident that allegedly resulted in injury to his spine and ribs.

According to the complaint [PDF], Comcast had run an elevated cable line across a street in Southeast Portland, but the line was not high enough. A garbage truck subsequently contacted the line, causing it to sag.

The plaintiff says he was riding his bike down this street in Feb. 2015, and ran into the cable neck-first.

“All of a sudden, (bam) he gets clotheslined,” his lawyer tells The Oregonian. “He lands on his back and fractures a lot of things.”

The cyclist claims to have already rung up medical expenses of $65,000 and lost more than $27,000 in income as a result of the incident. The lawsuit seeks to recoup those amounts, plus upwards of $250,000 in additional damages, for a total of $342,000.

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