AA Insurance: ‘A car park bollard ran over me’

You might think insurance claims are only for car crashes and burglaries but data released today shows that bollards and badgers have been the cause of the more unusual claims made by AA Insurance customers in 2006.

AA Insurance has examined over 180,000 car insurance claims it received in 2006 to find the most bizarre reasons for those motoring mishaps and home horrors.

With more than one million car insurance customers, it’s not surprising there have been so many claims. Never mind third party crashes, confused badgers and concentrating ‘too hard’ have been listed as the cause of some people’s misfortune. AA Insurance has selected the top five motoring miseries:

Battling Bollards – There are hundreds of claims every year of drivers backing into bollards but Mrs X claimed that ‘a car park bollard ran into me’

Badgered and Broken – Mrs Z saw a ‘confused badger’ on the road at night and swerved to miss it but unfortunately crashed into an oncoming car instead

Celebrity Capers – Some drivers get the Hollywood treatment. Mr B claimed that ‘a carpet literally flew out of the van and unrolled itself. It was a red carpet so I drove over it.’

Oh Deer! – A startled Mr Y wrote off his car after colliding with a deer as it leapt from the bushes. Apart from Mr Y, there have been more than 150 claims for deer jumping incidents this year. The deer leaped up to live another day

Ferry Fiasco – Whilst Mr PQ was boarding a ferry, he was so focused on avoiding splashing water, he slammed into the car in front

It’s not just motorists that suffer from unusual accidents, but homeowners too. Aside from more traditional claims to cover storm damage or flooding, AA Insurance has seen had some bizarre home claims this year, including:

Missing Molars – Ms Y woke up to discover that her teeth had disappeared from her nightstand during the night

TV Trauma – Mr T claimed a replacement television after accidentally spilling orange juice and short circuiting his current model

Pet Presents – Customers reported the dog chewed their carpet into disrepair or and that the cat left them a present on their new three-piece suite. Pets have been blamed for more than 150 claims in 2006

Kevin Sinclair, Managing Director of AA Insurance, said: “We’re used to receiving conventional claims for car damage or handbag theft but it’s always interesting to hear the more unusual claims people make. It just goes to show, you need to ensure you’re covered for all eventualities, however far-fetched they might seem.”