Portland co. that failed to trim tree pays in fatal crash

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A Portland industrial shop has been court ordered to pay nearly $300,000 for failing to trim tree branches that blocked a stop sign and contributed to a fatal car crash.
 
In June 2013, driver Jason Rodriguez ran the stop sign and ended up crashing into cross-traffic, killing one of his passengers, 33-year-old Michael Dominguez.
 
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (http://bit.ly/2vPnRuy ) Dominguez’s family sued Rodriguez for poor driving and Portland Engine Rebuilders for failing to keep the leaves on a tree bordering its property from obscuring the stop sign.
 
A jury ordered Rodriguez to pay $678,000 and the industrial company to pay $291,000 to the family.
 
The company, however, could be on the hook for more if Rodriguez isn’t able to pay more than $100,000 in insurance coverage.