Geico To Pay Woman $5.2 Million She Caught An STD Inside Insured Car

In smithereens compensation news…

GEICO was ordered to pay a Missouri woman $5.2 million after she contracted an STD inside a car insured by the company and you HAVE to read the story to believe it.

Source: Erika Goldring / Getty

In your lifetime, you’ve probably heard of insane and almost unreal lawsuits and the majority of the time, they’re thrown out. Some lawsuits seem absolutely unbelievable until you peel back the layers and hear the stories and their outcomes.

With that, we present to you one of the most bizarre legal cases we’ve ever heard of.

A Missouri woman reportedly contracted a sexually transmitted disease from her partner, and at the time, they were inside of his GEICO-insured vehicle. Once she was aware, she filed a lawsuit not against the partner, but against GEICO, who insured the car that she contracted Human papillomavirus (HPV) in.

According to CNN, in her lawsuit, she alleged her sexual partner negligently caused or “contributed to cause to be infected with HPV by not taking proper precautions and neglecting to inform and/or disclose his diagnosis.” Her reason for suing GEICO was simple his “insurance policy provided coverage for her injuries and losses.”

Details About The Missouri Woman’s $5.2 Million Settlement

According to court documents, she was awarded $5.2 million from the insurance company. The arbitrator in the case stated that the amount would fairly compensate her for damages and injuries. Of course, GEICO appealed the arbitration award claiming they weren’t given “a meaningful opportunity to defend its interests.” The appeal was reviewed by a three-judge panel and they confirmed the settlement, denying appeal efforts.

“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,” the opinion stated.”GEICO did not take advantage of this opportunity, and instead denied coverage and refused to defend Insured,” the opinion said.

Simply put, GEICO caught wind of how serious this case was being taken by the courts a little too late. When they tried to double back, the amount had already been awarded and their efforts afterward were futile. Hopefully, GEICO gets a new legal team that takes every case seriously going forward.

In fact, maybe they should consider hiring this woman’s lawyer.