GEICO Faces Class Claims Over Pandemic-Related Windfall (2024)

GEICO Faces Class Claims Over Pandemic-Related Windfall (1)

On March 25, 2021, class claims were filed in California federal court in the Northern District of California San Jose Division, against insurance giant GEICO General Insurance Company (“GEICO”) alleging that GEICO unfairly profited from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the complaint, named plaintiff Jessica Day alleges that while many companies, industries and individuals suffered financially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, auto insurers like GEICO brought in significant profits. The plaintiff explains how during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, state-wide social distancing and stay-at-home orders caused a dramatic reduction in vehicles on the roads and therefore resulted in a decrease in driving-related accidents. The complaint argues that this resulted in a drastic reduction in the number of claims that auto insurers, including GEICO, paid out. Plaintiff claims the outcome is an unfair increase in the defendant’s profits at the expense of its customers. For example, GEICO’s reported pre-tax earnings in 2020 were $3.428 billion, more than double its 2019 earnings.

The plaintiff proposes that in order to correct GEICO’s unfair windfall, a customer refund of around 30% of paid premiums would need to take place. The complaint points out that GEICO’s short-lived “GEICO Gives Back” program was woefully inadequate to compensate customers for overpayments resulting from COVID-19 shutdowns—the program applied a 15% discount on new and renewed auto insurance policies from April to October 2020. It did not, however, apply any discount to the premiums that customers had already paid, or continued to pay, for policies pre-existing at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The plaintiff is seeking to represent a class made up of all California residents who purchased personal automobile, motorcycle or recreational vehicle insurance from GEICO covering any portion of time from March 1, 2020 to the present. The suit brings causes of action for breach of contract and violation of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment/quasi- contract, frustration of purpose, violation of the California False Advertising Law and violation of the California Unfair Competition Law.

The case is: Day v. GEICO Casualty Company et al., Case No.: 5:21-cv-02103, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

GEICO Faces Class Claims Over Pandemic-Related Windfall (2)

GEICO Faces Class Claims Over Pandemic-Related Windfall (3)Counsel Financial provides working capital credit lines exclusivelyfor the plaintiffs' bar in all states except California, where credit lines are issued byCalifornia Attorney Lending.

GEICO Faces Class Claims Over Pandemic-Related Windfall (2024)

FAQs

Is GEICO COVID class action legit? ›

Law360 (March 12, 2024, 10:55 PM EDT) -- An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday denied class certification in litigation claiming that Geico profited off the COVID-19 pandemic by charging excessive car insurance premiums, ruling that the policyholders who filed the lawsuit had not shown that their damages model could be ...

How much will I get from a GEICO class action lawsuit? ›

Members in the class action lawsuit against Geico can receive payment for unpaid regulatory fees and unpaid sales taxes. As listed on the settlement website, individual payments may be $2,051.98 on average, with some members receiving higher or lower payments.

Why is GEICO in trouble? ›

Less driving during the pandemic contributed to Geico's "loss ratio," or percentage of premiums paid to cover claims, falling in 2020 to a 13-year low. The insurer later suffered six consecutive quarters of underwriting losses, but has since rebounded by tightening standards and reducing policies in force.

Is GEICO overcharging customers? ›

Geico must face California class action claiming it overcharged on car insurance. Oct 31 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday said a lawsuit accusing Geico Corp of overcharging more than 2 million California policyholders on car insurance early in the COVID-19 pandemic may proceed as a class action.

Is it safe to join a class action lawsuit? ›

Although joining together in a class action can be powerful, plaintiffs risk receiving a smaller individual payout if the award is distributed among many people. They may also lose their ability to bring an independent lawsuit if they are unhappy with the outcome.

Is class action lawsuit real? ›

A class action, also known as a class action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group.

Should I cash a class action settlement check? ›

People have mixed feelings about class-action suits, and whether you cash class-action refund checks is up to you. Generally, if you get one, you probably paid a lot more in wrongful fees than you're getting back in the settlement. If you don't cash the check, the money may go back to the company.

Can you get more money from a class action lawsuit? ›

Class action lawsuit settlements are not divided evenly. Some plaintiffs will be awarded a larger percent while others receive smaller settlements. There are legitimate reasons for class members receiving smaller payouts.

How long does it take for GEICO to send a settlement check? ›

Geico reports they usually send settlement money within six months of receiving an injury claim.

Does Warren Buffett own GEICO? ›

1996 – Warren Buffett purchases outstanding GEICO stock, making GEICO a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. 1999 – The beloved GEICO Gecko® makes his debut in a wildly popular GEICO ad campaign.

Why is GEICO closing? ›

The Chronicle reports that insurance industry magazines linked Geico's decision to close California sales offices to its failure to raise insurance prices in compliance with Sacramento regulations and other market forces.

Why is State Farm losing so much money? ›

State Farm total revenue last year was $104.2 billion. State Farm said in a release that its unfavorable operating results came from "continued elevated claims severity and significant catastrophe activity," for both auto and homeowners insurance.

Why is my Geico insurance all of a sudden so much higher? ›

If you leave out information in the quoting process about accidents you've been in (even minor ones), your policy rate may be higher. If you forget to provide details about your significant others' driving history, such as speeding tickets, this may lead to a higher rate.

Has anyone ever sued GEICO? ›

The most commonly filed lawsuits against Geico in relation to auto accidents include: Personal injury lawsuit: The purpose of a personal injury lawsuit is to seek compensation for losses and damages in a car accident, such as pain and suffering and medical expenses.

Is GEICO more expensive than Progressive? ›

Both Geico and Progressive offer cheap car insurance to drivers across the country. Geico's rates are typically lower overall, but Progressive tends to offer better prices to high-risk drivers. High-risk drivers are those with a recent DUI, at-fault accident or speeding ticket on their driving record.

Is there a class action lawsuit against GEICO in California? ›

GEICO COVID Class Action. If you are a California resident who purchased personal automobile, motorcycle, or RV insurance from GEICO covering any portion of the time period from March 19, 2020 to June 11, 2021, you are a member of the Class.

What is going on with GEICO in California? ›

According to The Sacramento Bee, the well-known insurance carrier ultimately liquidated 38 of its locations, resulting in hundreds of staff members losing their jobs. Customers will now need to use a mobile device or computer to purchase insurance from GEICO's telephone agents or manage their existing accounts.

What is the Jessica Day GEICO lawsuit? ›

Plaintiff alleges that GEICO falsely claimed to its policyholders that it was “passing these savings” on to its policyholders when it was in fact only partially passing on those savings, and that it misrepresented to them the amount of its excess profits as a result of COVID-19 and the fact that premiums during COVID- ...

Is the Blue Cross Blue Shield class action lawsuit legitimate? ›

$2.7 bln Blue Cross antitrust settlement upheld by US appeals court. Oct 25 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court has rejected legal challenges to a $2.67 billion settlement that resolves civil antitrust claims that Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and member plans conspired to drive up health insurance costs.

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