Bicyclist suing parish, city of Mandeville over '��slip on slime'�� on Tammany Trace

By Matthew Penix
St. Tammany News
Published on Friday, December 12, 2008 9:08 AM CST

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A St. Tammany bicycle rider has sued parish government and the city of Mandeville after he said he slipped and fell on moldy pavement while riding on the Tammany Trace.

John Souza III filed the suit Dec. 2, one year to the day after he slipped on “some type of mold, mildew, slime or growth on the surface of the roadway” while riding through one of the trail’s tunnel under U.S. Highway 190 near old Mandeville. The suit was made public this week.

Swerving to avoid another bicyclist, Souza hit the patch of the “slime,” which pooled under the tunnel after consistent exposure to moisture, and fell, according to the suit.

He hit the wall of the tunnel and slumped to the ground, according to the suit. The impact caused the bicep tendon of the plaintiff’s right arm to detach from his elbow, which required surgery to correct, according to the suit.

Mandeville-based lawyer Alvin Dupre claimed the extent of the growth indicated the “dangerous condition had existed for a sufficient length of time,” long enough for city and parish officials to “remedy this dangerous condition.”

Souza is seeking compensation for medical expenses, loss of work, property damage to his bicycle and pain and suffering.

The Tammany Trace is a 31-bike path stretching from Slidell to Covington.

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