Woman Gets STD In A Car, Gets $5.2M From Insurance Company GEICO In Damages

An anonymous woman from Missouri known only as M.O. was awarded the sum of $5.2M after she contracted an STD in her partner’s car.

The woman claimed that she was liable to receive damages because she had contracted STD from a car that had been insured by the company GEICO.

The couple had initially submitted a petition in early 2021 after she tested positive for the Human papillomavirus, more commonly known as HPV.

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Court documents show that her partner had not disclosed his diagnosis and "contributed to causing to be infected with HPV by not taking proper precautions and neglecting to inform and/or disclose his diagnosis."

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In addition, since the sexual act occurred within the insured vehicle, his "insurance policy provided coverage for her injuries and losses."

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The woman had initially settled for $1M but the insurance company had refused to provide coverage for the infection

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An arbitrator who later received the case sided with M.O. and determined that "there was sexual activity in (insured's) automobile" which "directly caused, or directly contributed to cause" her diagnosis.

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The arbitrator then raised the settlement to $5.2M and ordered GEICO to compensate the woman. GEICO, understandably upset with the result, appealed the verdict sending the case up the chain to the Jackson County Circuit Court.

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Unfortunately for GEICO, the three-judge panel upheld the result after considerable review.

"At the time of Geico's intervention, liability and damages had been determined by an arbitrator and confirmed by the trial court. GEICO had no right to relitigate those issues."

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They further added that GEICO had the opportunity to provide coverage but denied the claim and "did not take advantage of this opportunity, and instead denied coverage and refused to defend Insured."

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