Maine jury awards woman $525,000 in lawsuit

AUGUSTA, Maine -- A jury has awarded a northern Maine woman $525,000 in her lawsuit against State Farm Insurance Co., which disputed her claims that she injured her back in a car accident.

Berman and Simmons law firm says a Kennebec County Superior Court jury on Thursday awarded the money to 56-year-old Lynne Porter, of Patten.

Berman and Simmons said Porter was hurt in January 2009 when her pickup truck was rear-ended in Houlton when she stopped suddenly to avoid hitting another car that ran a stop sign and drove into her path. She sued State Farm Insurance after the company disputed that her injuries, which eventually caused her to become permanently disabled from work, were connected to the accident.

State Farm didn't immediately return a call for comment.