coach potato
23-11-2007, 10:24 PM
According to forms sent in to car insurer Norwich Union, animals, vegetables and wives have been responsible for some of the silliest claims they have seen.
Animal claims
In some cases, it seems cars are simply too attractive to be resisted.
"A herd of cows licked my car and caused damage to the paintwork," one policyholder explained.
"A deer head butted the windscreen of my car, after being enticed by the yellow tax disc," another claims form read.
"I parked in a country lane beside a hedge, when I returned to the vehicle, two horses had chewed my car," a distraught motorist complained.
Of course, it's not just cows, deer and horses you have to watch out for - animal attacks can come from any quarter.
"A frozen squirrel fell out of a tree and crashed through the windscreen on to the passenger seat," said one claimant.
"A pheasant flew into the windscreen causing me to lose control, mount a kerb and roll over," added another.
And don't think just because an animal is small it won't cause damage.
"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," read a different form.
Food fight
As well as animals, food seems to feature in a number of insurance claims.
"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 driver.
Of course, kebabs are not the only foodstuff to cause a problem, chips - or at least potatoes - do as well.
"I couldn't brake because a potato was lodged behind the brake," read another claim form.
Just plain silly
Other claims defy all logical analysis.
"I was driving home when my car was hit by a sofa," one policyholder claimed.
"My wife ran into the garage door, causing it to buckle," another said.
"I hit the rear of the car in front because it barked suddenly," said a different driver, understandably surprised.
Do we believe them?
Some of these claims seem rather implausible - but if you think they are taking the Mickey, just wait until you see some of the claims from people that really were.
Spurred on by stories that you can sue anyone, people have tried to sue councils for new trousers (because there weren't enough loos) while thieves have claimed compensation after slipping on stairs while fleeing the scene of the crime, Zurich Municipal reveals.
Another man put a claim in on his travel insurance for the cost of his visit to a brothel while in West Africa - because he had a heart attack while there and so didn't get value for money - the Association of British Insurers (ABI) told MSN Money.
In fact, one person in nine admits to exaggerating or making up claims, ABI figures show, costing the insurance industry an estimated £1.6 billion a year.
Some of them just deserve to be caught, though.
One keen amateur footballer said a back injury was stopping him from working, then was named player of the year by his football club and had his photo taken by a local paper.
Animal claims
In some cases, it seems cars are simply too attractive to be resisted.
"A herd of cows licked my car and caused damage to the paintwork," one policyholder explained.
"A deer head butted the windscreen of my car, after being enticed by the yellow tax disc," another claims form read.
"I parked in a country lane beside a hedge, when I returned to the vehicle, two horses had chewed my car," a distraught motorist complained.
Of course, it's not just cows, deer and horses you have to watch out for - animal attacks can come from any quarter.
"A frozen squirrel fell out of a tree and crashed through the windscreen on to the passenger seat," said one claimant.
"A pheasant flew into the windscreen causing me to lose control, mount a kerb and roll over," added another.
And don't think just because an animal is small it won't cause damage.
"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," read a different form.
Food fight
As well as animals, food seems to feature in a number of insurance claims.
"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 driver.
Of course, kebabs are not the only foodstuff to cause a problem, chips - or at least potatoes - do as well.
"I couldn't brake because a potato was lodged behind the brake," read another claim form.
Just plain silly
Other claims defy all logical analysis.
"I was driving home when my car was hit by a sofa," one policyholder claimed.
"My wife ran into the garage door, causing it to buckle," another said.
"I hit the rear of the car in front because it barked suddenly," said a different driver, understandably surprised.
Do we believe them?
Some of these claims seem rather implausible - but if you think they are taking the Mickey, just wait until you see some of the claims from people that really were.
Spurred on by stories that you can sue anyone, people have tried to sue councils for new trousers (because there weren't enough loos) while thieves have claimed compensation after slipping on stairs while fleeing the scene of the crime, Zurich Municipal reveals.
Another man put a claim in on his travel insurance for the cost of his visit to a brothel while in West Africa - because he had a heart attack while there and so didn't get value for money - the Association of British Insurers (ABI) told MSN Money.
In fact, one person in nine admits to exaggerating or making up claims, ABI figures show, costing the insurance industry an estimated £1.6 billion a year.
Some of them just deserve to be caught, though.
One keen amateur footballer said a back injury was stopping him from working, then was named player of the year by his football club and had his photo taken by a local paper.