SAN MATEO COUNTY — The family of a 30-year-old Atherton teacher and football coach who died after being hit by a garbage truck while riding his bike to work has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the truck’s driver and the waste management company that employed him, lawyers said.

The lawsuit on behalf of the family of Dylan Taylor was filed Tuesday in San Mateo County Superior Court by attorney Mary Alexander, according to a news release.

“What we hope to come from this lawsuit is not only justice and accountability for Dylan’s death, but also to change the way that the trucks in our community … work, how they drive and to make (drivers) pay attention to the bicycles and the pedestrians that they should be looking out for and sharing the roads with,” Alexander said at a news conference Wednesday. “We hope that there will be an accountability for his life, a legacy to him, and that these trucks will be more safe for our community.”

On May 7, Taylor was riding his bike in the bike lane near the intersection of Middlefield Road and Prior Lane in Atherton when he was hit by a garbage truck making a right turn. He was pronounced deceased after being taken to a hospital. Taylor was a freshman football coach at Menlo-Atherton High School and a special education paraeducator at La Entrada School.

Taylor’s father, Michael Taylor, described him as “cheerful, enthusiastic and energetic” at the news conference. He had been enrolled at Cañada College, was planning to become a behavioralist, and he organized community softball and ultimate frisbee teams and collected Pokemon cards, his dad added.

“(He) always had a smile on his face. Dylan strived to improve others, and he always tried to set a positive example,” Michael Taylor said. “The community lost a leader who was killed in the prime of his life. No parent should be subjected to the pain and grieving that (his mother) Kristy and I are enduring.”

Kristy Roos-Taylor, Dylan Taylor’s mother, added that he was “a big teddy bear of a man” who “gave the best hugs in the world.”

“Dylan was a beloved son, brother, grandson, uncle and friend who was a coach, a mentor, an educator of children with special needs and so much more,” Roos-Taylor said. “He brought joy to everyone he came in contact with and he would give his shirt off his back if that’s what you needed.”

The lawsuit alleges that the negligence of the waste management company led to Dylan Taylor’s death and caused irreparable harm to his family, according to the news release. The family says that the driver of the truck did not yield to the bike and made an unsafe turn.

Garbage trucks can weigh between 30,000 and 40,000 pounds, Alexander said.

“The law is that you have to be aware at all times what’s around (the) vehicle, and to watch out for bicyclists and pedestrians and other vehicles, and they failed to do it, and they failed to train and supervise this driver,” Alexander added.

The lawsuit further alleges that Greenwaste Recovery, LLC, the waste management company, did not provide sufficient training to the driver, and that the company allowed for unsafe driving in high-traffic pedestrian areas near schools, according to the release.

The case alleges that because the company had a duty of care to properly train and supervise its drivers, it was negligent in allowing this driver on the road, according to court filings.

Greenwaste said in a statement that the company does not comment on pending litigation.

“The safety and well-being of the communities we serve is central to GreenWaste’s mission. We are deeply saddened by this accident and offer our condolences to all those affected,” the statement reads. “We are taking this matter seriously and are continuing to cooperate fully with local authorities to support their investigation.”

The driver of the truck was found to be at fault for the collision by California Highway Patrol, according to court filings. San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said Thursday that his office had received the case from police this week and prosecutors were reviewing it in consideration of any criminal charge.

The lawsuit alleges that the waste management drivers have a legal duty to “exercise reasonable care” to prevent accidents, but that the driver acted “negligently and recklessly.”

“We believe that Greenwaste is responsible for the wrongful death of our son,” Michael Taylor said. “It’s our expectation that Greenwaste accept this responsibility and improve their training, their hiring and their supervision of their employees, so that tragedies such as this never happen again.”

“The grief is still all-encompassing and overwhelming, and we will never be the same,” Roos-Taylor added. “The pain of losing him is unbearable, and we miss him more than words can say. Nothing can bring him back, but Greenwaste needs to be held accountable.

“This didn’t have to happen, and they’ve torn our family apart.”