Geico has been ordered to pay $5.2 million to a woman who contracted an STD while having sex in an insured vehicle.

Geico has been ordered to pay $5.2 million to a woman who contracted an STD while having sex in an insured vehicle.

A state appellate court has ordered Geico to pay $5.2 million in damages to a woman who contracted a sexually transmitted disease while riding in the insured vehicle of her then-boyfriend.

The Missouri Court of Appeals Western District issued an opinion on Tuesday in favor of M.O., a woman who claimed she contracted HPV during a sexual encounter in the insured's vehicle in 2017.

HPV, or human papillomavirus, can be transmitted through sexual contact and cause warts on the genitals and surrounding areas.

"Despite 'having knowledge of his condition,' insured 'negligently caused or contributed to [M.O.] being infected with HPV by not taking proper precautions and neglecting to inform and/or disclose his diagnosis," the opinion wrote.

M.O. claimed in 2021 that her then-car boyfriend's insurance policy covered her injuries and losses. Geico denied her claim, so she took it to an arbitrator, who determined that the insured "negligently infected M.O. with HPV and awarded her $5.2 million in damages," according to court documents.

She then filed a motion with the trial court, which ruled in her favor and confirmed the $5.2 million verdict for "past and future medical expenses," as well as "past and future mental and physical pain and suffering."

Geico filed an appeal, claiming that they were not given a "meaningful opportunity to defend its interests," according to court documents.

"However, by entering a defense of Insured, Geico did have the opportunity to participate and defend its interests—including the ability to challenge liability and damages," the appeals court opinion stated.

The appeals court also determined that Geico had no right to "re-litigate" the issues after the award had been upheld.

According to Geico, "the question of whether there is coverage for this matter will be determined" by a federal lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.