車中での性行為でＨＰＶ感染　自動車保険会社に７億円支払い命令

【ロサンゼルスＡＦＰ＝時事】米ミズーリ州の控訴裁判所は今週、車中での性行為でパートナーにヒトパピローマウイルス（ＨＰＶ）をうつされたとして相手方の自動車保険会社ガイコに損害賠償を求めていた女性の訴えを認めて同社に５２０万ドル（約７億円）の支払いを命じた仲裁裁定の結果を支持した。（資料写真）
　女性は「過去と将来の医療費」および「過去と将来の精神的・肉体的苦痛」に対する損害賠償として９９０万ドル（約１３億円）の支払いを求めていた。
　女性は当初、パートナーは自身の感染を知っていたにもかかわらず、２０１７年に車内での避妊具を使わない性行為でＨＰＶをうつしたと主張。パートナーの保険契約では自身の「損害」をカバーできるとしてガイコに示談を持ち掛けていたが、同社は受け入れを拒否。昨年、仲裁裁定に持ち込んで争っていた。
　しかし仲裁人は、女性のパートナーが「自身の咽頭がんの腫瘍はＨＰＶ陽性と告知されていた」ことを明らかにし、「被保険者は性行為の前に、自身の診断結果を伝えるべきだったのに怠った」として、計５２０万ドルの損害賠償を認める裁定を下していた。
　ＨＰＶは米国で最も一般的な性感染症の一つで、高リスク型ＨＰＶはがんの原因になることもあるが、ワクチンもある。
　今回の裁定結果はソーシャルメディアで拡散され、話題になっている。
　米電気自動車（ＥＶ）大手テスラのイーロン・マスク最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）は「クレイジーな損害賠償請求のせいで、自動車保険が高額になっている」とツイッターに投稿し、「非常識な損害賠償を求める法律事務所を訴えられるようにするべきだ」と述べている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/06/13-13:37）

A US woman who contracted a sexually transmitted disease from her partner during romantic encounters in his car has been awarded $5.2 million in damages from his vehicle insurance company.
The woman in the state of Missouri successfully claimed her partner had negligently infected her with HPV, and that his policy covered her for injuries and losses.
Referred to in court documents only as M.O., the woman had requested an award of $9.9 million, before an arbitrator determined a sum of $5.2 million would cover her damages and injuries.
Insured should have disclosed his diagnosis to M.O. prior to the sexual activity that occurred, but he did not, found the arbitrator.
GEICO, the insurer, had rejected the woman's initial settlement offer, and last year contested the award, but it was upheld by the Missouri Court of Appeals this week.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States, and high-risk strains can cause cancer. There is a vaccine against it.
In her initial settlement offer, the woman said she had contracted HPV during unprotected sexual encounters in her partner's vehicle in late 2017 despite him having knowledge of his condition.
The arbitrator found that her partner had been told that his throat cancer tumor was diagnosed as HPV positive.
The woman requested compensation for past and future medical expenses, as well as past and future mental and physical pain and suffering.
Reports of the ruling quickly went viral on social media, prompting humor as well as outrage.
Crazy damages claims like this are a big part of why car insurance costs so much, tweeted Elon Musk.
It should be possible to sue law firms for pursuing insane damages claims.