Often, the most shocking part of a car accident is the collision. But for one Michigan woman, her insurance company allegedly blindsided her and left her feeling “abandoned.”
Cari McCaskill, of Oakland County, told ClickOnDetroit she was involved in a traffic accident on May 2 of last year when another car “came up and drove about 40 or 50 kilometers.” [miles per hour]trying to get around the traffic jam we were on. “
McCaskill had two passengers at the time, her 12-year-old daughter and her daughter’s friend. Fortunately, none of the three were injured.
McCaskill said she filed a claim with her insurance company GEICO and “the process was business as usual.” However, that claim required a police report, which documented McCaskill’s two young passengers.
While she did receive notice that her car was worth more than $25,000, she said the insurance company she’s been happily enrolled in since 2014 was silent on her claim. It even got to the point where she couldn’t log into her insurance app to check the status of her claim, she added.
Finally, a few weeks later, she received a response she never expected.
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The letter McCaskill received from GEICO did not provide a standard update to her claim, but instead stated that her policy was “under review for revocation retroactive to the most recent renewal” on the grounds that McCaskill “failed to disclose all resident relatives in her household.”
In other words, they canceled her insurance because she did not list her 12-year-old daughter on the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) statement of her coverage and she was not legally allowed to drive.
To make matters worse, because the daughter’s friend who crashed the car went to the doctor for a post-accident checkup, GEICO provided McCaskill with complaint documents against her and the doctor, claiming they did not have to provide health insurance because of the aforementioned failure to include McCaskill’s daughter. However, the report added that the doctor did not even request payment from GEICO (1).
At the same time, the case raises questions about who car owners must list on auto insurance forms, and whether insurance companies can revoke coverage if you fail to include minors who aren’t even legally allowed to drive.
Direct Auto (a division of Allstate) states that “generally speaking, insurance companies will ask you to list all family members when you apply for auto insurance,” but “young children (usually under 14 years old) should be exempt” (2). Other insurance companies have made the same recommendation, including Michaels Group, which adds that “undocumented children generally do not need to be listed as drivers” (3).
However, state laws can complicate things. “Some states require that all family members, even those who don’t drive, be listed on your auto insurance policy,” notes CarInsurance.com. “It insures you against any situation where someone else might be driving your car, even temporarily” (4).
At the same time, Michigan law has its own unique characteristics. They note that “classification and regional base rates used by insurance companies in this state for automobile insurance” must be applied based on certain requirements, including “the number of dependents of the income earner covered under the policy” (5).
Therefore, the law appears to leave discretion as to whether an insurance company must cover a collision because there is no age requirement for dependents listed in the policy. This also creates a potentially expensive situation for many drivers, who may believe that only those dependents who are of driving age need to be included in their policy.
In another report from ClickOnDetroit, insurance company AAA confirmed that “under state law, everyone must be listed on an auto insurance policy, even infants” (6).
That said, insurance companies clearly have leeway in providing coverage.
Another story about an accident in Michigan involves a local couple, their two young children, and GEICO insurance. The couple told local TV station Fox 5 that their car, along with the family, was hit by a driver on Christmas Eve 2025. While they were lucky not to suffer any serious injuries, they say GEICO told them that failure to include their one-year-old and three-month-old children on the policy could “impact” their coverage. Ultimately, though, the couple said GEICO agreed to pay for the cost of the damage to their car, estimated at up to $15,000, thus allowing them to avoid the same fate as McCaskill(7).
As for McCaskill, her attorney, Chris Camper, told ClickOnDetroit that the situation makes her feel “like she did something wrong and she could be stuck with a $25,000 or $26,000 lease.”
GEICO told the outlet it complies with all state insurance regulations regarding claims and coverage and cannot comment on cases pending litigation. Attorneys representing GEICO did not respond to requests for comment(1).
According to the Insurance Information Institute(III), in 2024, the average collision claim will be $5,489, while the average personal injury claim will be $28,278(8).
Of course, car collision costs can skyrocket depending on the severity of the damage and whether anyone was injured. Because different states have different laws, including laws regarding disclosure of dependents on insurance forms, it’s a good idea to discuss your family members’ situation with your insurance agent to ensure you are not denied coverage due to incomplete disclosures.
That said, if you do find yourself in trouble with your insurance company, there are important steps you can take to help resolve the issue.
III recommends reviewing your policy as “most companies offer arbitration or appraisal services to help resolve disagreements and disputes. Your policy will explain these options.” They add that sending a document with all relevant information and a letter to the insurance company can help you resolve the issue (9).
DM Injury Law says supporting evidence should include everything from police reports and eyewitness statements to repair estimates.
They add that comprehensive documentation can significantly increase your chances of winning an appeal (10).
III and others note that if all else fails, it may be necessary to turn to your state’s insurance regulator, an arbitrator, or even an attorney to get the compensation you believe you deserve.
While this does add additional legal fees, Babcock Tucker labor advocates advise that “most likely, once you hire an attorney and they contact your insurance company, the dispute will be resolved out of court” (11).
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ClickOn Detroit (1); Direct Auto (2); Source Name (3); Carinsurance.com (4); Michigan State Legislature (5); ClickOn Detroit (6); Fox 5 (7); Insurance Information Institute (8); Insurance Information Institute (9); DM Injury Law (10); Babcock Tucker Labor Advocate (11)
This article provides information only and should not be considered advice. It is provided without any warranty of any kind.
