PARIS — Brownfield has hit a bump in the road — or, at least, a motorcyclist has. 

A New Hampshire woman is suing the western Maine town over its alleged failure to post a cautionary “bump” sign along the road last summer. 

In the lawsuit, Eaton Center, N.H., resident Alana MacDonald alleges that the lack of a sign directly led to a severe back injury she suffered riding over the uneven ground. 

According to court documents, MacDonald was riding over Hampshire Road last August when she struck an unpaved, uneven patch where the town was replacing a culvert and repaving the road. 

Although she was able to maintain control of the vehicle, she eventually pulled over due to back pain, the complaint alleges. She was later diagnosed with several fractures in her spine. 

While the town’s Public Works Department had posted a sign alerting eastbound traffic to the bump in the road, the complaint states there was no such sign for the westbound lane. 

MacDonald said she was neither speeding nor could make out the bump from afar, essentially approaching it unaware. 

She is seeking unspecified damages to cover her medical expenses, as well as compensation for pain and loss of daily routine, including being with her family, gardening and singing in a band. 

The town has denied fault through attorney Mark Franco, who filed court documents stating that MacDonald was as much if not more to blame than the town and that she does not have legal grounds to pursue the lawsuit. 

Franco said that the sign was there, but it had fallen down. 

The parties are expected to meet and hire a third-party mediator to resolve the dispute out of court. A deadline of Jan. 1, 2016, was set for the parties to gather evidence. 

ccrosby@sunmediagroup.net 

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