The weirdest claims of 2017

An expensive roast

It was out of the roasting tin and into the fire for one claimant. He had nearly finished cooking Sunday lunch when he opened the oven and was greeted by a not-so-delicious smell of burning plastic. When he pulled out a baking tray full of potatoes, something crispy clattered to the floor from underneath it. It turned out he had accidentally picked up his iPad at the same time as sliding the tray into the oven. Apple crumble, anyone?

Tricky bollard

One would-be claimant tried to claim against the council for damage to her car when she drove into a bollard she had installed in her own driveway. She deemed the council responsible due to “poor lighting”.

The mother of all poos

One feisty claimant was left in the brown when a mystery plopper attacked her carpet. The claim was at first denied as she blamed the family dog and pet damage was excluded by her policy. Not to be deterred, she then blamed a fox. However, with vermin excluded on her policy, the claim was again denied. But the claimant was so determined for a pay out that she then told a fatberg of a whopper. Who did she blame next? Only her mother… The verdict? Declined!

You’ve been mango tangoed

Most UK dwellers don’t expect to be awoken by a loud explosion in the morning, let alone one coming for their own kitchen. However, one policyholder awoke to exactly this. She rushed down to the kitchen to find it had been mango tangoed. A tin of mango pulp had been fermenting for years and finally exploded, releasing nasty noxious gases and even damaging the tracks of her suspended ceiling.

Pinball wizard

When a man submitted a claim for damage to items located all over his living room, insurers flagged up their confusion. According to him, he had stood up and banged his head on a glass shelf, which turned him into a human pinball. Like a (pin)bull in a china shop, the man shattered crystal ornaments, two watches, a glass coffee table and two printers during his pinball spin. As if that wasn’t enough damage done, he used his final power up to launch into a DVD recorder and hi-fi system.

Pedal to the metal

You might expect some minor damage when your car hits a “pothole at a low speed”, but it seems like one claimant may have mixed up giant sinkholes with potholes and intense with “low”. After allegedly leisurely coasting into the pothole, they found their car flip-turned upside down. The claimant sent the picture to the right in to their insurer as evidence of their misadventure.

Polly doesn’t want a cracker

One claimant found his poor parrot needing medical assistance after fireworks next door scuppered the poor bird. The feathered friend was so shocked by the loud noises that he fell off his perch. The parrot was taken to the vet, who discovered he had a broken leg, and his owner put in a claim for a pretty penny.

Our friends (not) electric

One claimant was left with egg on their face when they put in a claim, looking for compensation for an electric shock from a large mixing bowl. Someone had clearly got their wires crossed, as the mixing bowl had no electricity supply.

A tight squeeze

A man was doing cabling work in his roof space when he got completely stuck. Luckily, the fire brigade rescued him from his tight spot, but not before the local news outlet caught wind of it. His insurer was there to pick up the pieces when the unusual emergency access claim was filed.