Michigan parents have claimed insurance company Geico refused to cover their car crash because their young children weren’t listed on their policy.
Kara Vogel and Carson Howatt of Chelsea got into a crash on Christmas Eve last month with their 1-and-a-half-year-old daughter and 3-month-old son. Howatt told local news no one was injured in the minor crash.
“We were going through a roundabout and a driver came on our right side and just didn’t yield to the roundabout and just hit us right in the front of our car,” Vogel told local news outlet Click On Detroit.
The damage to the family’s car could cost between $5,000 and $15,000.
“I hope that other families can learn from our story so that it doesn’t happen to them,” Vogel told The Independent.
The parents said they were told it wouldn’t be covered since their children were not listed on their insurance policy. The family has used Geico since they bought their car six months ago, before their son was even born.
“They asked if they are my kids and if they lived with me,” Howatt told Click On Detroit. “I didn’t think anything of it, so, I was, like, ‘Yes, of course, they are my kids and they live with me and they were in the car when the accident occurred, in their car seats, but no one was hurt.’”
Howatt admitted he signed a form stating that he and his wife were the only ones in their household.
“We weren’t thinking, like, ‘This is going to completely ruin our financial situation.’ It didn’t seem big. The airbags didn’t go off,” Vogel said.
The Independent has reached out to the family and to Geico for comment.
Geico explained in a statement to Click On Detroit that “all household residents must be listed on the auto policy, regardless of age,” according to Michigan law. The state reformed no-fault auto insurance in 2019, including Personal Injury Protection requirements.
The issue was eventually resolved and the family said they won’t have to pay out of pocket. But they said Geico told them they would need to add their children to their policy.
Vogel told The Independent that her family is “so relieved” that the issue was resolved.
She said that her now 4-month-old son has a congenital heart defect and will undergo his second heart surgery in two weeks.
“I’m glad the stress of the car insurance is behind us so we can focus on our family and prepare for what’s next for us, and not be stressed about repair costs,” Vogel said.
