Lucarell Retains Rubenstein to Refute Nationwide
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Christine Lucarell of Boardman, a former Nationwide Mutual Insurance agent who initially won a $42.8 million jury award against the company (READ STORY), has retained Rubenstein Associates of Liberty Township, a marketing and public relations agency, to represent her, she announced Monday.
Lucarell believes Nationwide is trying to discredit her, said Vic Rubenstein, a director, and points to the appeals Nationwide has filed, widely reported in the press, that accuse her of perjury and converting funds that Nationwide lent her to establish her agency for her personal use.
As a result, Lucarell says, upon the advice of colleagues in Cleveland, she asked Rubenstein Associates to represent her.
Last week Nationwide lawyers attempted to re-litigate the case in post-trial motions heard Wednesday and Thursday (READ STORY).
The hearing followed a ruling Jan. 31 by Judge Thomas J. Pokorny that lowered the amount of the jury award by $10.3 million. Pokorny said he based his decision on Ohio law that limits the amount of punitive and noneconomic damages. Pokorny has not ruled on Nationwide’s motion for a new trial.
In a prepared statement released Monday, Lucarell began, “First and foremost, we must take Nationwide to task for the lies they’re promulgating about me and about my family.” Since a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court jury decided in her favor Nov. 5, “Nationwide has deliberately stated and re-stated fabrications that were proved, during the trial, to be deceptive.”
Vic Rubenstein, a Director of Rubenstein Associates, states that the real issue at stake is “the reputation of Christine Lucarell and her family and the potential impact she can have upon the insurance industry and as an advocate for small business owners throughout the U.S.”
Lucarell confirmed that she has been contacted for interviews and discussions with literary agents and publicists.
“What will ultimately force Nationwide to take a second look at their business practices is separating their lies from the truth,” Rubenstein said. “Job-one on that front is articulating these truths through news and information media, interviews, books, a possible documentary or commercial film, speaking engagements and social networking.”
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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