According to Ageas, a herd of cows were responsible for causing havoc to one policyholder’s property and garden last year. Claims analysis from the award-winning insurer reveals it helped over 10,000 customers claiming for Accidental Damage incidents under their Home insurance policies in 2016, with an average claim cost of £650, resulting in a staggering £6.6m paid to customers in total.
The most weird and whacky home insurance claims leading to significant damage during 2016 include:
• Going nuts: A 68 year old man from Wolverhampton was mowing the lawn when a small piece of brick flung up from the lawn mower and broke a pane of glass in the conservatory – caused by pesky squirrels who kept burying things under the lawn.
• Udderly ridiculous: A herd of cows got loose from a farm in Gwynedd and came through an estate at the end of a cul-de-sac and gathered on a 52 year old man’s property and garden. The careless cattle caused a massive £7,500 worth of damage and provided plenty of fertilser for the garden shrubs.
• Puppy power: A small puppy in Milton Keynes decided to have its very own tug of war competition using the family’s TV cables, resulting in the TV smashing on the floor and a £150 bill to be picked up by Ageas.
• Brace yourself: An 84 year old man from Oxford put his false teeth on the cooker and they slipped under the metal grill. He then put the cooker on and melted them. Luckily Ageas put a smile back on his face and replaced them, as the dentures cost £945.
• Bee calm: Bees swarmed the dining room in the home of a 75 year old woman from Taunton, so a bee keeper was called to smoke them out. Mission Bee left black marks all over the carpet and it cost almost £200 to rectify.
• Cream carpet: Whilst playing at their home in Bristol, children got hold of some nappy cream and rubbed it into the front room carpet and sofa. This caused a whopping £1,386 worth of damage and some really unhappy parents.
• Sinking feeling: A 64 year old woman from Rochester left her iPad on the chopping board whilst having dinner. After her meal, she filled the sink with water adding in the dishes – unfortunately her iPad was still in the pile on top of the chopping board so also made it into soak.
• Wheel disaster: Children were riding their segways in the dining room at home in Staffordshire. Whilst standing still on their trendy scooters, the wheels continued to go round and burnt the carpet and rug to the tune of £750 to replace.
• Window pain: An 82 year old man from Paisley, had an unfortunate fall whilst on the phone and put his head through the UPVC panel of a door. Fortunately this wasn’t a headache – Ageas paid out £511 to cover the cost.
• Oh baby: A 54 year old man from Dudley got up one morning and noticed that there was a large stain on the carpet. His baby son had gone round with baby oil spilling it everywhere resulting in a £568 insurance claim.
Ant Middle, CEO Ageas Retail said: “We’ve seen some weird and wonderful Home insurance claims over the years, but 2016 saw some of the strangest yet! And that’s exactly where our Claims team comes in – to offer support and to give our customers piece of mind that their possessions and homes are protected from incidents – the normal to the unusual. With the Easter holidays just around the corner, customers can also rest assured that we’ll be here to help with any insurance mishaps whilst family members are spending more time at home.”
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