Oregon Wife Files $7.9M Suit After Husband Crushed by Dump Truck

A Medford, Ore., woman has filed a lawsuit against two construction companies after her husband was crushed to death by a dump truck in a construction area on Interstate 5 near Cottage Grove.

Karee Battenfield filed a $7.9 million lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court in late December.

Her husband, Layne Battenfield, was a construction worker and supervisor. On May 1 he was killed when struck by an asphalt dump truck that was backing up in the construction area.

The driver wasn’t cited after investigations by police and the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division. A trooper found no criminal intent or recklessness, and an Oregon OSHA inspector found no safety or equipment violations.