Judge reduces jury award in case against Nationwide

Judge reduces jury award in case against Nationwide

YOUNGSTOWN

A judge has overruled a Nationwide Insurance Co, motion for a new trial of Christine Lucarell vs. Nationwide Insurance, unless Lucarell, a former Nationwide agent, wants one on the issue of damages alone.

In today’s judgment entry, visiting Judge Thomas J. Pokorny of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, who presided over last fall’s trial, reduced the total award from the $42.8 million granted by the jury to $14.517 million.

In a statement, Nationwide said it was pleased by the reduction of the award, but disagrees with the verdict, believes errors in the trial improperly affected the outcome of the case, and intends to appeal the verdict to the 7th District Court of Appeals.

Lucarell, of Boardman, alleged the Columbus-based insurance giant enrolled her in an agency executive program, then withheld financing from her agency and made her working conditions so intolerable she was forced to quit.