Fire and accidental damage among the biggest claims at previous royal events
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee long weekend could herald a rise in certain insurance claims if previous royal event bank holidays are anything to go by.
Claims data from Aviva for the four-day break around last year’s Royal Wedding and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee 10 years ago revealed that on both occasions fire claims were up one fifth compared to the average level, according to a report in Propertytalk Live.
And with children off school and many families holding royal-themed house parties, perhaps unsurprisingly accidental damage claims in the home went up by 10% over the same periods.
Among some of the claims during the previous two four-day bank holiday weekends were:
· A homeowner noticed their conservatory was covered in smoke and fence, shed, two bikes, garden table, two chairs and two sun loungers were on fire after leaving the barbecue unattended for an hour
· A customer’s £1,700 sofa went up in flames after he knocked over his pipe while watching the Royal
· A homeowner received a phone call while visiting friends to tell him his fence, two bushes and a tree were on fire after a neighbour ‘s bonfire got out of control
Aviva’s household claims manager Ian Coull said: “We were intrigued to see the increase in the fire claims over the Royal Wedding and Golden Jubilee weekends and when we delved a bit deeper, we found there was a strong culinary theme with cooking and barbecues being the main causes.
“Bank holidays also often lead to increased accidental damage claims mainly because families are at home more, probably enjoying time with lots of family and friends or catching up on DIY, both of which can lead to clumsy calamities.”
The insurer is also expecting more claims for broken glass and windows as Britain braces itself for a summer sporting bonanza with the 2012 Olympics and Euro 2012. Claims rise by around 20% during the summer months with stray tennis, cricket and footballs often the culprit.
Coull said: “Whenever there is a major sporting event, we always see additional claims for mishaps with broken windows whether it’s down to Murray Mania or budding Broads and Beckhams.
“With a particularly bumper sporting calendar this summer we’d encourage homeowners to embrace all the great events which 2012 has to offer, but maybe just keep the ball games away from the conservatory or patio doors.”
On the flip side, statistics show that car claims actually dropped over the previous four-day bank holiday weekends - by around 20% - with more people spending time at home during the break.
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