Buzz
Imagine being struck by a Christmas tree mid-air while driving or filing a claim because your phone ended up inside a cow. Dive into the fascinating world of outrageous insurance claims – ranging from astonishing to tragic, and some that will leave you utterly baffled.
10. The Rear of the Animal
Ivor Bennett, a farmer from Devon, UK, reported that his mobile phone somehow ended up inside the rear of one of his cows.
His actions weren’t driven by any strange fixation – he had simply been using his iPhone’s flashlight to help a cow give birth on an exceptionally dark and stormy night.
The phone eventually resurfaced, though it’s no surprise that it no longer functioned correctly.
Outcome: The insurance company fully honored the claim.
9. Public Deception
Isabel Parker, a 72-year-old notorious for her slip-and-fall schemes, staged accidents in department stores, supermarkets, and liquor stores 49 times throughout her lengthy career – a tragic consequence of her gambling habit.
Prosecutors revealed that she approached insurance claims as if they were her profession, maintaining a hectic schedule. She submitted 49 fraudulent personal-injury claims across Philadelphia, Delaware County, and New Jersey, amassing $500,115 from 1993 to 2000. In New Jersey alone, she admitted guilt to 29 charges of insurance fraud and theft.
Outcome: A four-year sentence served under house arrest
8. Waiter, there’s a rodent in my soup!
Carla Patterson attempted to claim a $500,000 insurance payout from a Virginia Cracker Barrel restaurant after allegedly finding a mouse in her vegetable soup on Mother’s Day.
However, the restaurant chain conducted a thorough investigation and discovered the mouse had no soup in its lungs, proving it wasn’t cooked. The jury concluded the mouse could only have ended up in the soup if she had placed it there herself.
Outcome: A one-year prison sentence for conspiracy to commit extortion (though she continues to deny any wrongdoing).
7. Double Trouble
A Delaware man intentionally set fire to his home and convertible to claim payouts from his homeowners and auto insurance policies.
Nicholas Di Puma claimed the incident began when pans on his wood stove caught fire while he was cooking. Buckets of coals then ignited, and while attempting to douse the flames, he allegedly threw one bucket out the door, which somehow ended up in the backseat of his convertible.
While carrying the second pan outside, he claimed to have tripped, causing it to land on his sofa. Local authorities found the story hard to believe. Di Puma eventually pleaded guilty to second and third-degree attempted insurance fraud.
Outcome: Five years of probation, no insurance payouts, and the total loss of his home and car.
6. Burning Bride
Some wedding days take unexpected turns. For Paula Catelli from Rimini, Italy, everything seemed perfect until her exquisite, handcrafted wedding dress got too close to the barbecue.
The synthetic fabric ignited instantly, and within seconds, Catelli became what no bride ever wishes to be – a woman in flames on her wedding day.
Her quick-thinking groom saved the situation by lifting her and tossing her into the sea. Thankfully, both the bride and groom were strong swimmers.
Outcome: The insurance company compensated 50% for the incident – likely out of compassion.
5. Killed His Mother and Burned the House
Marc Thompson, a Chicago grain futures executive, found himself drowning in debt due to his extravagant lifestyle. In a desperate move, he set his house on fire to claim $730,000 in insurance money.
To stage it as a suicide, he brought his 90-year-old mother, Carmen, to the basement, soaked the area with accelerant, and lit the match. Carmen Thompson died on August 11, 2002, from carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation, which initially seemed like a flawless cover. However, federal agents dug deeper, and the truth eventually came to light.
What kind of person would commit such an act?
Outcome: Absolutely no insurance payout. Thompson’s future is now secured – for 190 years in federal prison.
4. Vibrator Phone Malfunction
An unnamed woman in her late 20s from Bristol, UK, earns a special place on this list for her unusual claim.
Last year, she reported that the vibration feature on her Blackberry Bold 9900 stopped functioning – while she was using it as a personal adult device.
Outcome: The insurance claims office erupted in laughter for days.
3. Airborne Christmas Tree
Mr. Fairclough was on his way home after Christmas shopping when he noticed a car approaching with a poorly secured Christmas tree on its roof.
It happened in an instant: the tree detached itself and flew directly toward him.
“He was speeding around a sharp curve, and I watched the tree lift off and soar directly toward me. The trunk left a massive dent in my hood and forced me to veer off the road into a hedge.”
Mr. Fairclough added, “The driver didn’t stop or return for his tree, so the Police suggested we keep it. It wasn’t amusing at the moment, but in hindsight, it felt like a scene from a comedy show!” Nice.
Outcome: The insurance company covered all damages.
2. Tropical Projectiles
When British travel agency Club Direct introduced policies covering injuries from falling coconuts, it left people in stitches.
Brent Escott, their managing director, referenced statistics indicating that 150 people – ten times more than shark attack victims – die annually from falling coconuts. Some speculated whether Mr. Escott had perhaps been hit on the head himself.
That same year in Sri Lanka, a Club Direct customer was peacefully reading under a palm tree when a coconut struck her head, rendering her unconscious. She was promptly hospitalized. Lucky indeed.
Outcome: The insurance company paid the claim in full.
1. Cigared for Life
A North Carolina lawyer bought a box of premium cigars and insured them against flooding, storm damage, and, oddly enough, fire.
Unsurprisingly, his investment turned to ash within a month. He then filed a claim with his homeowners insurance, arguing that the cigars were lost in “a series of small fires” and deserved compensation.
The insurer denied the claim, correctly assuming the man had smoked them himself. However, a judge ruled that since the policy didn’t define “unacceptable” fire, the company owed him $15,000 to replace the cigars.
Outcome: The insurance company paid the claim but later had the lawyer arrested. He received a 24-month jail sentence and a $24,000 fine for 24 counts of arson and insurance fraud.
