Claiming officials knew of the potential danger yet did nothing, victims and surviving relatives of October’s bike-lane terror attack in Manhattan plan to sue New York City for more than $600 million.

At least eight people were killed and 11 injured after Sayfullo Saipov, 29, allegedly drove a rented Home Depot truck south more than a mile along the Hudson River bike path in an ISIS-inspired ramming attack. After the truck was disabled, Saipov exited the vehicle with a pellet and paintball gun before being shot by police and arrested. Saipov has since pled not guilty to an assortment of charges, including eight counts of murder, but has indicated he may change his plea to escape a possible death sentence. The trial likely won’t begin for at least another year.

Authorities failed to “take the necessary precautions” or “implement measures and precautions to prevent vehicles from intentionally entering the bicycle path,” according to the legal claim written by Howard Hershenhorn, who represents the families of victims Diego Enrique Angelini, Ariel Erlij, Hernán Ferrucci, Hernán Diego Mendoza, Alejandro Damián Pagnucco, Ann-Laure Decadt, and Nick Cleves, as well as several significantly injured victims. The family of Darren Drake filed a similar negligence lawsuit last November.

RELATED: These Are The Bike Riders Who Died in the NYC Terror Attack

It’s believed the Hudson River Greenway is the most heavily used bikeway in the country, with more than 7,600 cyclists counted over a 12-hour period in July 2016. Ridership on the path has nearly tripled in the past decade. While the bulk of the bike path is separated from car traffic by tree wells, fences, and bollards, the section where Saipov struck was unprotected at the time. The city has since placed bollards there, according to the New York Post.

After the ramming attack, New York City installed bollards where Sayfullo Saipov allegedly drove a truck onto the Hudson River bike path. Andrew Lichtenstein

Paul White, executive director of the cycling and pedestrian advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, says his organization has a clear paper trail, warning the city multiple times that more than a dozen intersections along the greenway were vulnerable to vehicular violence after earlier deaths.

Saipov’s terrorist attack “didn’t have to happen,” White said. “With better design, the city could have [protected trail users] by keeping vehicles off the greenway. Taxpayers are likely going to be on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars just because the city failed to put the proper safety infrastructure in place.”

RELATED: The Hudson River Greenway Was New York City's Most Popular Bike Path. Then It Got Attacked.

Cycling attorney Megan Hottman agreed. “The issue in this situation is whether the city had written or constructive notice of the issue,” she said. “Was the city on notice that events like [the terror attack] could occur and would be likely to occur? The answer, in my opinion, is yes, based on previous events when vehicles entered the bike path, injuring or killing cyclists.”

Hottman was referring to incidents like in December 2006, when a drunk driver entered the Hudson River Greenway and killed Eric Ng, a 22-year-old cyclist and activist. Earlier that year, Carl Nacht, a 56-year-old physician, was struck and killed by a police tow truck as he rode his bike on the same path.

“After one or two of those events, it would be logical to assume the city would take action by adding concrete barriers or some other form of protection to greenway users,” Hottman said. ”Instead, they took no action, and this event led to numerous path user’s deaths.”

Authorities patrol the Hudson River Greenway the day after the attack. JEWEL SAMAD

Nick Paolucci, a New York City Law Department spokesperson, said the city is currently “reviewing the claims made in connection with this very tragic incident” and refused further comment. Eric Macfarlane, deputy commissioner of the city’s Infrastructure Division, didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

The lawsuit also raises bigger questions. How will it affect bike infrastructure projects in the future, both in New York and throughout the country? Will victims of impaired or unattentive drivers, not just self-styled terrorists, be more likely to sue local governments for negligence?

RELATED: After Deadly NYC Attack, This Senator Has a Simple Way to Keep Cyclists Safe

There's some legal precedent for holding cities liable for serious crashes on unsafe streets. In 2004, Louis Pascarella, driving more than 50 mph in a 30 mph zone, struck 12-year-old Anthony Turturro as he rode his bike in Brooklyn. Turturro was in a coma for months, suffering major brain damage.

His family sued the city, arguing that neighbors had complained for years about cars excessively speeding on the street where Turturro was struck. A jury found the city at fault for his injuries in 2011. The New York Court of Appeals upheld the decision in 2016, ruling that Empire State cities are responsible for redesigning streets with a history of deaths, injuries, and reckless driving.

It’s a good bet that other cities and states will keep a close eye on this new lawsuit. If the courts find that New York officials irresponsibly ignored safety complaints about the Hudson River Greenway, it could open the door to holding cities throughout the country more accountable for safe bike lanes.

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Robert Annis After spending nearly a decade as a reporter for The Indianapolis Star, Robert Annis finally broke free of the shackles of gainful employment and now freelances full time, specializing in cycling and outdoor-travel journalism. Over the years, Robert's byline has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including Outside, National Geographic Traveler, Afar, Bicycling, Men's Journal, Popular Mechanics, Lonely Planet, the Chicago Tribune, and Adventure.com

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