Amorous horses, gorilla bites and Ben Affleck: the wackiest insurance claims of 2018
From cars damaged by loved-up horses to gorilla bites, insurance company staff have to deal with some outlandish claims. Insurer Aviva has opened up its records, and here are six of the best claims from the 991,700 it paid out in 2018.
Coarse horse
The insurer handled a motor insurance claim where an amorous horse mistook a car for a female horse, then attempted to mate with it.
The subsequent claim for bodywork damage from the horse’s front legs was paid in full.
Aviva’s records do not show what happened to the horse.
Stowaway cat
Aviva also logged one motor insurance claim where a cat crept into a car as the owner was unloading his shopping.
The owner unknowingly locked the cat inside. The panicked mog proceeded to claw at the interior of the car in a bid to escape, causing considerable damage.
Fortunately the cat was rescued when it hit the car’s hazard light button in its frenzy, notifying the owner.
Gorilla warfare
The insurer also handled a medical insurance claim in 2018 for a gorilla bite.
The policyholder had been on a trek to see gorillas in Africa, only for the guide to take him too close to the creatures.
One startled gorilla bit the man on the arm, then ran off. The man told Aviva the gorilla was not to blame.
Monkey see, monkey threw
In a second primate-related incident, a holidaymaker had his bag snatched by a monkey, which scrambled up a high wall to examine the contents.
The animal then threw the man’s mobile phone on the ground, smashing it. Aviva replaced the phone.
Bungling burglars
The insurer also picked up a claim for a burglar who tried to break into a house by smashing a window, only to be startled by the homeowner and hide in a shed.
He then locked himself in the shed by accident, where the police found him.
Aviva paid the claim for damage to the house – and shed.
Cracked head dummies
One Aviva business customer made a claim for damage to waxwork figures of Ben Affleck and Justin Bieber.
The policyholder said fine cracks to the faces of the waxworks rendered them useless, and the insurer paid out.
Andy Briggs, of Aviva UK Insurance, said: “Insurance is there to protect against the unexpected, no matter how unlikely the circumstance.”
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