Man claims $200,000 for herpes - Canada - Macleans.ca

"Is getting a rare disease an “accident”? Randolph Gibbens, who was paralyzed after contracting herpes, believes so. But his insurer, which is fighting his workplace disability claim, contends that if diseases are considered accidents, then everyone’s insurance premiums could skyrocket.

After Gibbens, 48, had unprotected sex with three women in early 2003, he developed herpes simplex type 2. The disease progressed into a rare inflammation in his spinal cord, and within weeks he was paralyzed from the mid-abdomen down. Gibbens, who lives in Port Coquitlam, B.C., and worked as a high pressure water blaster, was insured by Co-operators Life Insurance. His accidental disease or dismemberment plan pays $200,000 for “proof of paraplegia” or lost use of his legs due to “external, violent and accidental means.”"