FARMINGTON – A jury awarded an elderly Wilton couple $400,000 Wednesday afternoon for injuries the husband sustained while undergoing a medical procedure two years ago at Franklin Memorial Hospital.

Jurors in the civil trial voted 6-3 in favor of 76-year-old Rodney Sawtelle and his wife, Frances, according to Lewiston lawyer Scott Lynch. The suit, filed in January 2005, was heard in Franklin County Superior Court.

The Sawtelle couple have been married for 52 years, Lynch said. Rodney Sawtelle operates a heavy equipment garage in Wilton. It took the jury two-and-a-half hours to rule that Rodney Sawtelle was entitled to compensation for his inability to work, and his wife was entitled to part of the settlement for her suffering.

As part of the ruling, which was announced at about 3 p.m. Wednesday, Rodney Sawtelle was awarded $360,000. His wife was awarded $40,000, to compensate for her suffering through the loss of her husband’s wages.

Lynch said Rodney Sawtelle was being treated at Franklin Memorial Hospital and a needle was being inserted into his forearm when he was injured.

“The allegation was that the nurse on the surgical floor had punctured the ulna nerve,” Lynch said. “The hospital said it never happened.”

The injury inhibited Sawtelle’s ability to use his right hand, Lynch said.

Since Sawtelle’s injury, he has been unable to effectively feed himself, manage paperwork at his business or perform other duties related to his work, Lynch said.

“He’s right-handed,and the injury was to his right hand,” the lawyer said. “He basically had to learn to live left-handed. And with his business, with heavy equipment, he needs both of his hands.”

Lynch said the Sawtelle couple is happy with the jury ruling, but that their lives continue to be affected by the injury. The identity of the nurse who performed the procedure was not immediately available. A Franklin Memorial Hospital spokeswoman could not be reached late Wednesday night, when news of the jury settlement was learned.

Lynch said he was pleased, but not altogether surprised by the ruling and the award.

“It’s one of those cases where the integrity and unshakable character of the victims played a big part,” he said.