Woman claims insurance company should pay up after she caught STD in lover's car
(FOX BUSINESS) – A federal appeals court on Wednesday heard arguments over whether car insurance should pay out benefits to a woman who caught a sexually transmitted disease from a policyholder in his insured vehicle.
In GEICO General Insurance Co. v. M.O., a Missouri woman, the titular M.O., claims that her partner, Martin Brauner, negligently infected her with human papillomavirus (HPV) after they had sex in his 2014 Hyundai Genesis. She claims Brauner was aware he had HPV but neglected to inform her before they had unprotected sex, resulting in "past and future medical expenses" and "mental and physical pain and suffering," court documents state.
In February 2021, M.O. filed a $1 million claim against Brauner and his insurer, Maryland-based GEICO, claiming she should be compensated for bodily injury under the car's insurance policy. GEICO refused to pay the claim, stating the injury did not arise from the ownership maintenance or use of the owned auto or non-owned auto.