Parents in Michigan claim that insurance company Geico denied coverage for their car accident because their young children were not listed on their policy.
Just before Christmas last month, Chelsea’s Kara Vogel and Carson Horvat were involved in a car accident with their 1-and-a-half-year-old daughter and 3-month-old son. Horvat told local news that no one was injured in the minor incident.
“We were going through a roundabout and a driver came from our right and he didn’t yield to the roundabout and hit the front of our car,” Vogel told local news outlet Click On Detroit.
Damage to a family’s car can cost $5,000 to $15,000. Parents said they were told it would not be covered because their children were not listed on their insurance policies. The family has been using Geico since buying the car six months ago, even before their son was born.
Michigan parents claim insurance company Geico refused to cover their car accident because their baby wasn’t covered by their policy (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
“They asked if they were my children and if they lived with me,” Horvat said. “I didn’t think much of it, so, I thought, ‘Yeah, sure, they’re my kids, they live with me, they were in the car, in their car seats when the accident happened, but no one was hurt.'”
Horvath admitted that he signed a form indicating that he and his wife were the only ones in their home.
“We didn’t think, ‘This is going to completely destroy us financially.'” It doesn’t look like much. The airbag did not explode,” Vogel said.
independent The family and Geico have been contacted for comment.
In a statement to Click On Detroit, Geico explained that under Michigan law, “all residents of a home, regardless of age, must be listed on an auto insurance policy.” The state reformed no-fault auto insurance in 2019 to include personal injury protection requirements.
The issue was eventually resolved and the family said they did not have to pay out of pocket. But they said Geico told them they needed to include their children in the policy.
