We are required to carry auto insurance in case we cause an accident. Most would agree that no one shifts their car into “drive” purposefully expecting to race off and get into a wreck. That wouldn’t make much sense.
That’s why these protective policies are often referred to as “accident insurance.” Accidents happen for various reasons. Road conditions or inclement weather frequently play a role in why someone makes a mistake. Also, bad drivers cause wrecks.
Driver incompetence is all-too-often the reason. That’s why we have insurance. But one Missouri woman was awarded a healthy settlement from a well-known insurer, not because of an auto accident but because of a rather bizarre type of owner/operator error.
In February 2021, this woman filed a claim with Geico seeking damages. She wasn’t injured in a wreck in the car in question, or anything like that. The woman, referred to as “M.O.”, had sex inside the insured vehicle. Furthermore, she insists that she contracted HPV, the human papillomavirus, during a sexual encounter in her boyfriend’s car.
How this woman ended up with a $5.2 million arbitration settlement is beyond me. It doesn’t even make sense that this case would have even been considered.
Geico will apparently challenge the decision in federal court. Who in their right mind would believe they could sue for catching an STD in a car?
Being able to sue and win a monetary award for having caught something while in a car brings a whole new meaning to “driver liability”.
Would this woman be entitled to compensation if her boyfriend had sneezed and given her a cold? This may seem funny, but it’s a legitimate question. There has to be a line somewhere, so where is it and why is it there?
These nonsense lawsuits are a huge problem in our society. They drive up the price of things for sensible Americans. If this woman had contracted her STD on a mattress in her bedroom, would the mattress manufacturer be liable? What about her home or renter’s insurance company? That makes about as much sense as this settlement.
This is purely STUPID. What in hell does STD remotely have to do with an auto insurance company, and why would ANY judge award in her favor??????????
Mattress and Bedding manufacturers will go out of business now.
What was the litigants position? (I’m not talking about passenger seat, back seat or on top). $150 in my opinion, is excessive payment. An STD is generally an inconvenience and not a life threatening event so…suck it up Buttercup!
and you wonder why car insurance is so expensive!
Let me guess the judge in this case was a Democrat because only a bonehead would allow something like this go forward. What effects one car effects all cars covered by the same insurance company. They recoup their losses by hiking rates across all their clients. You can laugh at this story, but the insurance company is not going to be out all that money. They just gave away your money that could have covered your next fender bender or worse. Now who’s laughing that’s right the insurance company.
Geico needs to out the judge…we would like to know what idiotic judge ruled on this..
First of all men don’t carry HPV they catch it from women they are the carriers . If I was the insurance company I would look into her sexual escapes .
I guess that this story only supports the old story that I got VD off of the toilet seat or I got pregnant the same way. I guess nobody considered that maybe her boyfriend spread the disease??? Way to ridiculous to even file this as a tort.
This is absolutely ridiculous. The man is a jerk and should pay for her medical bills (if any). HPV is self-limiting. Some HPV’s lead to cancer; most don’t. She should be accountable for having unprotected sex. How and why would Geico be held liable for anything other than an auto accident? Maybe the arbitrators had a private agreement with the woman? What if the woman had been vaccinated with Gardasil—-and contracted HPV….now THAT could be a lawsuit! And one I’d like to see.
LOL!!!….Why so much astonishment?…..Thi is the USA when GREED is KING……Greed will and IS killing the nation………………This happens at all levels that is never reported…Becuase Americans are spolied LAZY BRATS who only motive is MONEY……You get what you deserve….There is an old saying…Misery Loves Company and your are all miserable….LOL!!!!