British insurance company, Norwich Union, talks about some of the more bizaare claims for insurance that it has received from its customers.
Caution: frozen squirrel falling
Hilary Osborne
Monday February 6, 2006
If you go down to the woods today, watch out for falling squirrels - particularly if you're taking the car.
While the idea of a frozen squirrel falling from the sky on to the passenger seat probably isn't one that has crossed your mind, research by Norwich Union suggests it's not beyond the realms of possibility.
The unlikely story of a frozen squirrel dropping from a tree and breaking the windscreen topped the list of unusual car insurance claims published today by the insurer. Quite why and how it became frozen is unclear, as is the cost of fixing the damage caused.
But it happened, and it isn't the only incident recorded of animals damaging cars. In fact it seems motorists should be on the lookout for dangerous beasts whenever they get behind the wheel.
Over the past year the insurer has also paid out following accidents involving a reindeer landing on the bonnet of a car, a zebra hitting a vehicle at a safari park and a herd of cows licking a vehicle and causing damage to the paintwork.
Even insects have been known to cause accidents. "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 one driver's successful claim.
Food was the second biggest cause of bizarre claims received by the insurer. In the past year Norwich Union has paid out for accidents caused when a potato became lodged under a brake pedal and an incident with a kebab. "As I was driving round a bend, one of the doors opened and a frozen kebab flew out, hitting and damaging a passing car", the driver explained.
While these accidents are unlikely to happen to most motorists, Sally Leeman, a spokeswoman for Norwich Union, said they highlighted the importance of having car insurance.
"Everyone thinks of motor insurance as for when they reverse into another car in a supermarket carpark or bump into someone on the road, but it's there for unusual events too," she said.
Ms Leeman was unable to put a figure on the cost of these unusual accidents, but she said they were all covered by the insurer's motor policy.
guardian.co.uk
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