25 of the Most Ridiculous Insurance Claims Ever Filed

25 of the most ridiculous Insurance Claims...the good, the bad, and the idiotic

 

 

25

Cow Lick

A couple vacationing in southern France filed an insurance claim for the paint on their car after it got licked off by a herd of cows.

24

Isabel Parker’s Slip and Fall

www.businessinsider.com

For 7 years between 1993 and 2000 Isabel Parker pretended to slip and fall in various locations. After doing it nearly 49 times she filed insurance claims worth nearly a millions dollars. Unfortunately for her the insurance company didn’t fall for it.

23

Marc Thompson’s Arson

www.sandiegoreader.com

Marc Thompson burned down his house while his 90 year old mother was inside in order to collect $730,000 of insurance. He is now serving 190 years behind bars.

22

Monkey Business

While vacationing in Malaysia a couple had their clothes stolen and scattered around the jungle by a thieving band of monkeys. The insurance company agreed to cover their losses.

21

Broken nose, broken pride

A British tourist in Athens ended up running into a bus shelter after supposedly being distracted by a group of females. In spite of his embarrassing mistake the insurance company still cover the hospital bill.

20

Don’t Sleep And Drive

www.guardian.co.uk

Fortis insurance paid out a whopping $44 million when Gary Hart fell asleep at the wheel and killed 10 people.

19

Parachute Problems

A family on vacation in England were in for a surprise when a parachutist landed on their equipment destroying most of it. The insurance company wouldn’t pay for the damages.

18

A Slippery Slope

www.jaggedhorizons.com

Snow sports aren’t exactly known for being safe. Maybe this is why every winter insurers dish out over a $100 million.

17

iPhone Issues

A farmer in Minnesota filed a claim on his iPhone when he lost it in the rear end of a cow when he was helping with calving in the middle of the night.

16

Mouse Soup

A Virginia woman filed a claim against Cracker Barrel when she said she found a mouse in her soup. Upon closer inspection by the restaurant they determine that there was no cheese in the rodents lungs and therefore the mouse was not cooked with the food. The woman is now in jail for attempted extortion.

15

Watch Out

A jeweler in London tried to file a claim when a customer brought him a 200 pound watch to fix. He accidentally ended up returning him a 10,000 pound watch but the insurance company decided he was on his own.

14

Up In Smoke

A clever lawyer bought a pack of cigars and had them insured against all sorts of catastrophes including floods, storms, and of course fire. A few months later he filed a claim saying his cigars had all disappeared in a series of “small fires”. The insurance company correctly assumed that he had smoked them and told him to get lost. The judge however force the insurance company to pay up because they didn’t specify the type or size of fire in the contract.

13

A Wet Wedding

When the bride’s dress caught on fire the future husband grabbed her and through her into the Caribbean water. Although the wedding didn’t really go as planned at least the insurance company was willing to dish out for the dress.

12

Merry Christmas!

An Indiana man driving home from Christmas shopping was behind a car with a Christmas tree attached to the roof when all of a sudden the tree slid off and came crashing through his windshield. The other driver sped off and the police ended up telling him he might as well keep the tree. A free tree and a brand new windshield…not a bad Christmas.

11

Camel Kick

A man on vacation in Australia put in a claim on his car after a wild camel supposedly kicked in the door. The insurance company was understandably weary but after a video evidence was produced they forked over the cash.

10

Elevator Experience

A safety training instructor was working with several trainees when the elevator they were using for demonstrations got stuck. Although the trainees got some real world experience they didn’t see it that way. The insurance companies had to pay for the “mental anguish” they suffered as a result of being exposed to what they were training for.

9

Nokia Cake

A North Carolina woman somehow managed to accidentally bake her Nokia phone in her daughters birthday cake. The insurance company decline to pay damages.

8

Where’d the snow go?

A British woman that bought new skis to go skiing in the Alps decided to try collecting on them after she arrived and realized there was no snow. The insurance company refused citing her lack of foresight.

7

Head Banging

A woman in Sri Lanka was knocked out cold by a falling coconut as she sat reading under a palm tree. Apparently this incident isn’t uncommon and apparently ever year about 150 people are killed by falling coconuts. The insurance company paid in full.

6

Loose Teeth

A man on an Alaskan cruise apparently lost his dentures overboard as he was surveying the ocean. He filed a lost baggage claim with the insurance company but was denied.

5

Buried Treasure

The children of a couple on vacation in Italy ended up burying their parent’s camera in the sand. Fortunately the insurance company didn’t bury their claim.

4

A Titanic Claim

A couple made a claim on their camera after they lost it over the side of cruise ship trying to film themselves recreating that scene in Titanic.

3

Head Butt

A claim was filed by a Virginia man stating that his windshield was head butted by an angry deer on his way to work. Unfortunately evidence was lacking.

2

The Global Financial Crisis

www.businessbasis.ru

Since the Great Depression of the 1930′s, the recent global financial crisis was by far the most financially devastating. It led to insurance companies dishing out over $100 billion.

1

A Goose and a Diamond

A Texas woman filed a claim on her diamond ring after her goose swallowed it. Apparently she had spent several weeks sifting through goose poop without any luck. The insurance company refused to pay but did suggest dissection. The woman’s tough choice was made for her when the goose flew away.

Website and Content Credit:  http://list25.com/25-most-ridiculous-insurance-claims-ever/2/

How Much Will I Pay if I am Charged With A DUI?

I acutally get this question a lot.  My answer is, getting arrested for a DUI is not only embarrassing, it's expensive.

Take Justin Bieber, for example, who was pulled over the other day and arrested for Driving under the Influence (a misdemeanor).  Now, let's assume that Justin Bieber is a normal member of society and doesn't have millions of dollars.  Justin's DUI charge will remain on his record for at least 5 years (some insurance companies keep records for 7, even 10 years).  He will first have to pay the fines and charges affiliated with his arrest, which can be upwards of $6,000 depending on what State is filing the charges.  These costs include bail, towing, lawyer fees, and tickets associated with the charge.

(p.s. How annoying is it that he is smiling?!  He knows he can do just about anything and get away with it...punk.)
 

(This is what he should look like!)

Once those charges are filed and paid, the expenses are not over.  Justin will have to file what's called an SR-22, which some DMV's require to be filed after a DUI conviction.  An SR-22 will reinstate Justin's Driver's License, and will allow him to purchase Liability Insurance once again.  The cost to file an SR-22 is about $20-$30, and remains of his record for 5-10 years just like the DUI charge.

Now, Justin's Insurance will either double, triple, or even quadruple depending on his previous driving habits.  The average cost for a multi-car Auto Insurance Policy in Missouri is $1,622 according to averagecarinsurance.com.  So, if his car insurance only doubles, he is now paying $3,244 annually, which is an extra $135.17 per month!! 

As you can see, the cost of a DUI is well over $10,000 when it is all said and done.   So, the next time you get behind the wheel of your car a little tipsy, just ask yourself if it's worth the $10,000 to $15,000 risk?  FYI, it costs about $80 to take a cab from Downtown St. Louis to O'Fallon, MO...

Nationwide's Vanishing Deductible Option - That's a lot of Benjamin's!

Happy Thursday to all of you!

I am sure all of you have seen this commercial by now....it is Nationwide's new "Benjamin's" campaign to promote vanishing deductible.  Since I write Nationwide Insurance (or, Allied Insurance which is the same company) and LOVE this feature, I thought I would explain it in more detail:

Vanishing Deductible provides an immediate $100 credit towards your deductible when selected.  So, for example, if your Comprehensive and Collision deductibles are $500 each, those deductibles automatically drop to $400 each when you elect Vanishing Deductible on your policy.  Then, with every year of safe driving, the deductibles decrease by $100.  So, instead of your deductible being $500 after 5 years of safe driving, it's $0!  That's a savings of over $1,000 over a 5 year period, which is unbeatable in the insurance world. 

Comprehensive and Collision coverage is required on at least one vehicle on the policy in order to elect Vanishing Deductible.  Also, the credit maximum is $500.  So, if you are interested in adding Vanishing Deductible to your quote, please be sure to elect $500 deductibles for Comp and Collision.  That way, once you have maxed out the credit, your deducitble will be $0 after 5 years of safe driving.

Nationwide also offers a policy feature called "Total Loss Deductible Waiver" which I will write about tomorrow.  If you have questions about Vanishing Deductible, or would like to see how much it could save you, please do not hesitiate to reach out.

Have a great day and please stay warm :)
Kelli

Why Independent?

Hello Everyone!

I am so happy to be blogging again!  I never thought I would do this again in my life, but I have to admit, it is a stress reliever to get my thoughts down.  Even if no one ever reads it :)

This blog is created so to avoid annoying people on Facebook with multiple posts a day about Insurance!  I will post more exciting items than just the typical insurance information on here.  I will illustrate how much you can save on your annual premiums by showcasing true, every day stories.  I will provide updates about the Insurance Market.  But, most of all, this is for you as readers.  Tell me what you think I should be talking about, and what catches your attention, and I will do my best to write about it.

Today, I want to point out why it is important for everyone to have an Independent Insurance Agent working for THEM instead of the other way around.

I am a one woman show.  I am the sales person, receptionist, service representative, claims representative, marketing liason, office assitant, and coverage expert.  I am everything except the IT person (no one wants me to be the IT person...trust me!).  So, what does that mean?  That means that I do all of the work for my customers.  I evalutate their insurance to make sure they have the right coverage at the right price.  I help them through the claims process.  I keep their files up to date.  I shop their insurance every year to make sure the company they have is still competitive.  EVERYTHING PEOPLE! 

It doesn't stop there, either.  Because I am a one woman show, I get to talk to some amazing people everyday...including Realtors, Mortgage Lenders, Car Dealers, Financial Advisors, DJ's, Hair Dressers, Florists, Caterers, Small Business Professionals, Mary Kay Sales Advisors...the list goes on and on!  So, when you choose an Independent Insurance Agent, you are also choosing their large book of contacts.  They are the person you should turn to when you need the best Florist (for example) and don't know where to start looking.

Lastly, Independent Agents are professionals.  Sure, we want your business, but it's because we truly believe we can HELP you.  If we cannot help you, we will point you in the right direction without leaving you "hanging".  We agents truly go above and beyond for our clients because we care.  We're not just after the next sale.  We are here for you!

Let me prove that I am here to help you.  I promise you will not be disappointed.