For its 325th anniversary, Aviva recently trawled back through its archives to find some of the funniest insurance claims it has ever dealt with. For some festive fun, we at Focus were inspired to scour the internet for the most hilarious reasons people have been driven to claim on their insurance. We hope it made you chuckle as much as we did!
Let’s start with one of Aviva’s finest:
- A leapfrogging vicar
In 1875, a vicar was awarded £120 in damages after he was injured playing leapfrog!
- Sorry, where did you lose it?
A Devon farmer claimed on his insurance after losing his mobile phone up the rear end of his cow during a calving – he was using it as a torch. Funnily enough, it wasn’t working too well once he got it back!
- It was the turkey’s fault!
One claimant’s carpet was ruined after a heavier-than-expected turkey “flew out of the oven onto the floor”.
- A steamy encounter…
When a horse mistook a customer’s car for a female of the species and proceeded to make certain… advances, the insurer stepped in to pay out for repairs to the car’s bodywork.
- A spudding nightmare
One driver claimed on his insurance after losing control of his car and driving into a ditch. There had been a farming fete in a nearby field and a man dressed as a potato suddenly appeared and “quite surprised me”.
- An over-enthusiastic apprentice
A claimant decorating their home left a tin of emulsion open on the floor and their furry friend decided to help them out. Dipping its tail in the open tin, the pet dog proceeded to ‘help’ its master by spreading the paint far and wide across the house.
- Well, they certainly have a way with words…
This insurance claimant was certainly at fault, but they clearly don’t see it that way. After rear-ending another car, the claimant wrote: “I started to slow down but the traffic was more stationary than I thought.”
- Concrete and cars don’t mix
Allianz reportedly paid out on a claim following a “mishap” with a concrete mixer that resulted in nearly 70 vehicles becoming encased in concrete!
- “Lost baggage”
A queasy pensioner on a cruise lost more than he bargained for after he was sick over the side of the ship and his false teeth fell out. He filed a claim on his travel insurance policy, citing “lost baggage”.
- A flaming nightmare
A company director claimed on his home insurance after his wife placed her handbag on the hob and accidentally lit the ignition, causing the designer item to go up in flames.
(N.B. we don’t advise a hob as the ideal resting place for your valuables.)
Have you encountered any hilarious, unbelievable or frankly dubious insurance claims from clients? If so, we’d love to know!