A Missouri resident was awarded $5.2 million from Geico after contracting a sexually transmitted disease in her ex-partner’s insured car.
The woman, identified as simply “M.O.” in court documents, submitted a petition directly to the insurance company in 2021, about three years after she learned she was infected with Human papillomavirus (HPV). She claimed she contracted the disease in 2017, when she had sex in a male partner’s 2014 Hyundai Genesis, which was covered by Geico.
According to the petition, the owner of the vehicle knew he was infected with HPV and failed to inform her. She argued the man’s insurance company policy should provide coverage for her injuries and losses, and put forth a final settlement offer of $1 million.
According to CNN, Geico ultimately rejected her claim, stating her losses and injuries had nothing to do with the “ownership, maintenance or covered use” of the car. The case was then sent to an arbitrator who found “there was sexual activity in (insured’s) automobile” that “directly caused, or directly contributed to cause” M.O. to be infected. The woman was awarded damages of $5.2 million, which was to be paid by Geico. However, the company filed an appeal, claiming it wasn’t given a chance to defend itself against the claim.
On Tuesday, the Missouri Court of Appeals upheld the initial judgement, stating: Geico had “the opportunity to participate and defend its interests—including the ability to challenge liability and damages—by entering a defense of Insured [...] Geico did not take advantage of this opportunity, and instead denied coverage and refused to defend Insured.”
