The weird and wonderful world of insurance claims

Working in the claims division of an insurance company can sometimes be a somewhat dull occupation. However the world being the strange place that it is, occasionally strange and entertaining claims surface. The following are real claims filed with Norwich Union’s car insurance department over the last year.

According to the company, a number of people last year filed claims relating to damage incurred by their vehicles as a result of interactions with cows. According to one claim, "A herd of cows licked my car and caused damage to the paintwork".

Far more plausible is the claim by one driver who hit a cow, which survived the incident. As I came over a hill, I hit a cow in the middle of the road, which then hit the bonnet and shattered the windscreen with its rear end," read the claim.

Cows escaping from agricultural shows, cows crossing roads and jumping cows all caused damage according to reports filed with the company.

Cows were among the tamer of the animal-related claims, in fact. One person said, "A frozen squirrel fell out of a tree and crashed through the windscreen on to the passenger seat". Falling reindeer, flying pheasants and meandering zebras caused damage to other vehicles insured with Norwich Union.

One man claimed: "While I was waiting at traffic lights, a wasp went down my trouser leg which made me hit the accelerator and prang the car in front".

Other bizarre claims were merely as a result of human error. “As I was driving round a bend when one of the doors opened and a frozen kebab flew out, hitting and damaging a passing car," said one claim.

Another read: "I was driving home when my car was hit by a sofa". "I couldn't brake because a potato was lodged behind the brake," said another claimant.

Yasmin Purnell

07/04/08