Woman Gets STD After Sex in Vehicle, Awarded Millions From Man’s Insurance Company

It looks like a popular insurance company is on the hook for more than $5-million after a Missouri woman sued claiming she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease while having intercourse inside a vehicle.

The woman, whose name was not released, says she had consensual, unprotected sex with her boyfriend inside of his car and wound up with Human Papillomavirus (HPV). She notified Geico of her intent to sue for damages as her boyfriend was insured by Geico and the incident happened inside of his vehicle.

Geico declined a settlement and sent the case to arbitration, reports the Kansas City Star:

In May 2021, the arbitrator found that the man and woman had sex inside his vehicle that “directly caused, or directly contributed to cause” the HPV infection. The man was found liable for not disclosing his infection status and the woman was awarded $5.2 million for damages and injuries to be paid by GEICO.

On appeal, the Missouri Court of Appeals determined Geico could not relitigate the case, however, one of three judges on the panel did acknowledged that under current Missouri law the insurance company had the role of 'bystander' in the proceedings and didn't really have an opportunity to participate in the proceedings.

Despite that acknowledgement, the arbitrator's $5.2 million award in the woman's favor was allowed to stand.

Despite failing to successfully appeal the ruling in Missouri, the Star reported that Geico is still contesting the ruling in federal court, saying the matter isn't covered under their insurance policy.