Jennifer Connell: Aunt who tried to sue 12-year-old nephew says she was forced to after insurance company offered $1

'She had no choice but to sue the minor defendant directly to get her bills paid'

Jurors sided with Ms Connell's nephew (Facebook)

The aunt who tried to sue her 12-year-old nephew for breaking her wrist after trying to hug her has said she did so because she was struggling to pay her medical bills.

Jennifer Connell, 54, filed a $127,000 lawsuit against Sean Tarala, who was eight at the time of the accident, holding him responsible for the injury.

After losing the case on Tuesday, lawyers representing Ms Connell, from New York, said the claim was about the insurance industry and that she had only been offered $1 in compensation.

A statement from law firm Jainchill and Beckert, reported by Fox CT, read: “From the start, this was a case… about one thing: getting medical bills paid by homeowner’s insurance. Our client was never looking for money from her nephew or his family. It was about the insurance industry and being forced to sue to get medical bills paid.”

“Prior to the trial, the insurance company offered her one dollar. Unfortunately, due to Connecticut law, the homeowner’s insurance company could not be identified as the defendant,” the statement read.

Following the court case, the lawyers also said: "Our client was very reluctant to pursue this case, but in the end she had no choice but to sue the minor defendant directly to get her bills paid."

They said although they were disappointed by the outcome, they understood the verdict and added: “Our client is being attacked on social media. Our client has been through enough.”

Ms Connell later told CNN she never wanted to hurt her nephew: “This was meant to be a simple homeowners insurance case. Connecticut law is such that I was advised by counsel that this is the way a suit is meant to be worded.”

“I adore this child. I would never want to hurt him. He would never want to hurt me," she said.

The accident happened in March 2011 when Sean had tried to hug his aunt at his birthday party. Ms Connell toppled to the ground, leading her to allegedly fracture her arm and need surgery.