Missouri Woman Says She Caught STD In Car, Auto Insurance To Pay $5.2M

An insurance company must pay a Jackson County woman, who claimed she caught a sexually transmitted disease (STD) from her significant other while in his car, a $5.2 million settlement, according to Yahoo! News.

The woman, who was identified in court records as simply M.O., told GEICO she intended to seek monetary damages in February 2021 after she allegedly contracted the human papilloma virus (HPV) from a GEICO customer while in his vehicle. The insurance company declined the settlement and sent the case to arbitration.

The arbitrator concluded that the vehicle “directly caused, or directly contributed to cause” the HPV infection. In addition, the man was found liable for not disclosing his infection status. Thus, the woman was awarded $5.2 million in damages and injuries — and GEICO had to pay them. The insurance company filed motions seeking a new hearing, but the motions were denied. Eventually, they appealed.

The Missouri Court of Appeals affirmed the previous decision and said that GEICO did not have a right to “relitigate those issues” once damages had been determined and a judgment was entered. But one judge, Tom Chapman, wrote in a separate opinion that GEICO wasn't offered a meaningful opportunity to participate” in the lawsuit.