Geico has been ordered to pay a Missouri woman $5.2 million after she contracted an STD while having sex in the back of a car insured by them.
The woman, identified only as M.O., claims that she contracted the human papillomavirus, known as HPV, during a sexual encounter inside her ex-boyfriend’s car. Since the vehicle was insured by Geico and her ex failed to disclose his status, she felt that Geico was liable. According to M.O., the unprotected sex occurred in the vehicle in November and December 2017. In February 2021, she reached out to Geico with her intention to seek damages against them.
After Geico turned down her claim, she took the matter to an arbitrator, who agreed that the car sex “directly caused, or directly contributed to cause” of the HPV infection. The Court of Appeals for the Western District of Missouri upheld the insurance company’s multimillion-dollar settlement on Tuesday. Geico has slammed the ruling, stating that they were not given the opportunity to challenge her claims.
Geico has also argued that they should only be responsible for damages or injuries caused directly by the use of the car. M.O. contracting a sexually transmitted disease had nothing to do with the vehicle itself.
Though the woman was awarded the hefty lump sum, it is not likely that she will see it anytime soon, as Geico plans to continue contesting the ruling.
