WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren OhioBoardman woman wins multi-million dollar law suit against Nationwide Insurance

Boardman woman wins multi-million dollar law suit against Nationwide Insurance

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BOARDMAN, Ohio - A Boardman woman who claimed Nationwide Insurance was not on her side, has won a multimillion dollar lawsuit against the insurance giant.

Christine Lucarell broke out in tears of joy as a visiting judge read aloud the millions of dollars she'll receive in punitive damages following her lawsuit against Nationwide Mutual Insurance.

"My family has suffered and we never gave up our faith, we never gave up our fight," Lucarell said. "In fact, we fought for three and a half years just to be able to come and tell people what has happened."

Lucarell claims she is one of about 400 people to join a three year program offered by Nationwide. If she succeeded in the program, selling at least $1.2 million cumulative in insurance, she would be eligible to become an independent agent. But as Lucareli's attorney said, Nationwide made it nearly impossible to meet their standards.

"Even with their unbelievable, impossible standards she was still going to make it," said Attorney Caryn Groedel. "They took it away by continuing to put the screws, put the screws, put the screws, until she said 'I don't want them to fire me, I'm going to resign so I can find another job and not say I was fired.'"

Unfortunately, Lucarell said she struggled to find another job because of her bad credit. Credit, she said, was racked up when Nationwide withheld her earnings and other financial support.

In court Monday, a jury agreed, awarding Lucarell $6.8 million in damages, and another $36 million in punitive damages, including misappropriation of her name, and retaliating against her.

Attorneys Caryn Groedel and Mathew Ries said they've been contacted by other former Nationwide agents across the country and believe this could turn into a class action law suit.

The attorney to Nationwide refused to comment and a call made to their media relations was not returned.