BALTIMORE (AP) - The Progressive Corp. insurance group is defending itself against an onslaught of negative publicity after it tried to avoid paying $75,000 to the family of a client killed in a car crash and tried to blame the wreck on her.

It began Monday with a blog post from 33-year-old Matt Fisher of Brooklyn, whose sister Katie Fisher had Progressive insurance and was killed in a June 2010 car crash in Baltimore. In order to avoid a $75,000 payment to Katie Fisher's family, Progressive interjected itself into a lawsuit Katie Fisher's family filed against the other driver.

Last week a jury found the other driver negligent, despite Progressive's efforts to persuade the jury that Katie Fisher was at fault.

Matt Fisher said Thursday that the deluge of online support his family has received is gratifying.

A Progressive spokesman said the company respects the jury's decision.