WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. (WDIV) – A Michigan couple says they were told by Geico that a Christmas Eve car crash wouldn’t be covered because their two young children were not listed on their insurance policy.

Parents Kara Vogel and Carson Howatt say they were going through a roundabout on Christmas Eve when another driver didn’t yield and hit the front of their car. They had their 1-year-old daughter and 3-month-old son with them at the time.

“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.

Soon after the accident, Howatt contacted Geico to make the claim. The family has had the insurance provider for six months, since they bought their car.

Geico called him the next day.

“They asked if they are my kids and if they lived with me,” Howatt said. “I didn’t think anything of it, so, I was like, ‘Yes, of course, they are my kids, and they live with me. They were in the car when the accident occurred, in their car seats, but no one was hurt.’”

Geico told him that might impact the couple’s coverage, saying they signed a form affirming they were the only two people in the household. The form says all relatives, regardless of age, must be disclosed to Geico.

Howatt admits he signed the form and says it was a mistake, but like many people, he was accustomed to only having to list people of driving age on the form.

The damage to the car could have cost the family between $5,000 and $15,000, but Vogel says Geico later told them they plan to cover it despite the issue with the form. The couple now hopes their story serves as a cautionary tale to others.

Geico says their policy is in line with Michigan Personal Injury Protection requirements, which state all household residents must be listed on the car insurance policy, regardless of age. The insurer also noted that all auto insurance companies in the state have the same requirements.

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