Jury decides against insurance company in car accident lawsuit

(Tulsa-AP) -- A Tulsa County jury has awarded more than a (M) million dollars in damages to a woman who sued an insurance company over its handling of her mother's benefits.

Karen Peters sued Texas-based American Life Insurance Company in 1997 after the December 1996 death of Reba Deason of Collinsville.

Peters alleged a bad-faith failure to pay four-thousand-60 dollars for life insurance benefits and 40-thousand in accidental death benefits.

American Income contended that Deason had rejected those policies and did not pay initial premiums.

The jury's award of more than one-point-four (M) million dollars includes 500-thousand dollars in punitive damages.

An attorney for the insurance company indicated an appeal is possible.