Burning Down The House, Garage, And Of Course – The Car
It’s crazy how much people are willing to go through just to attempt insurance fraud, and even more surprising is how easily things go from bad to worse. Such is the case of Delaware resident, Nicolas DiPuma.
DiPuma claimed that a fire started on his wood stove while he was cooking because nearby coals caught on fire. He claimed that he panicked and threw the bucket of coals out the door, which landed on the backseat of his convertible. He added that in his rush, he also accidentally threw coals on his sofa. Needless to say, the police didn’t have a hard time charging him with insurance fraud.
Snake In The Gas Tank
Snakes on the plane got nothing on this insurance claim. It’s seems like something out of the movie, but unfortunately for a driver of a 1971 Jaguar E-Type, it was all real life.
He found that his luxury car wasn’t performing as well as the usual, with the engine overheating after only a short drive. It got to the point that the car couldn’t start at all. It was then towed to a service station where a mechanic discovered that a snake had wrapped itself around the drive-belt pulleys, causing the car to overheat. Credit goes to the mechanic for keeping his cool!
Valet Excuse
You’d think with all the 80s comedies depicting young teens taking cars that are not their own will already make for a good cautionary tale. Unfortunately, it seems like a young valet didn’t learn this lesson when he decided to take a Maserati parked in a parking garage out for a test drive.
Unfortunately, his teenage dreams came to a halt when he crashed into a Jeep, which then crashed into a parked Porsche 365sc Coupe. Imagine parking your luxury car in one piece only to come back to it totaled. It’s almost a sure thing that lawyers got involved.
Smokey Drive
It’s almost common sense to know that smoking and fireworks don’t go well together. Unfortunately, it seems that State Insurance Co. representative, Mike Rowe’s client failed to get the memo. Ever since getting a client who loved fireworks, Rowe always kept his phone close during July the 4th, bracing himself for a costly insurance claim.
Unfortunately, the phone came after his client placed thousand dollars’ worth of fireworks in his trunk to set it off in a field. He never made it to the field after he tossed his lit cigarette out his car window, only for it to ignite the fireworks in his trunk.
Gasoline And Beauty Products
Gasoline and shampoo have very little in common. Sure, they’re both liquids but that’s just about it. They smell different, the look different – even their packaging are so far from each other! However, this doesn’t keep people from “accidentally” switching it out.
Elephant, a British insurer, released a list of the most ridiculous insurance claims they’ve encountered. The list includes a woman who mistook her bottle of shampoo for a container of gasoline. She loaded her gas tank with premium grade Herbal Essence. Well, at least the car smelled good? Though good luck trying to drive your car after that.
One-Way Lying
Blaming one’s fault and pawning off responsibility to other people is one of the most “popular” ways people attempt insurance fraud. Such is the case with a UK motorist. After driving the wrong way down a one-way street, he accidentally wedged himself between two parked cars, causing damage and scratches to both cars.
Instead of owning up to it, he called his insurance company claiming that the cars scratched his vehicle while he was parked. Needless to say, with a quick and brief investigation, he was charged with insurance fraud. Lesson learned: follow the traffic rules and read the signs.
Kangaroo Jacked
The Land Down Under has its own unique insurance claims. After all, where else can you find insurance claims that involve kangaroos?
British comedian Jasper Carrot found a number of Australian claims that stemmed from the action of mischievous kangaroos. One case involves a kangaroo flying through a driver’s windshield. When assistance arrived, they found the kangaroo sitting on the driver’s seat next to the dazed owner.
Another case involves a kangaroo bounding over a man’s car, thus damaging it and requiring him to call his insurance company again. Carrot’s right, that’s a gold mine of insurance jokes right there.
Cow vs Car
Animal instincts are very interesting to observe. Sometimes, it could also be very amusing. However that’s not the case for this one fisherman some years ago. Published in The National Underwriter, a fisherman recounted how he went on a trip to the coast and found cows unusually attracted to his car.
It got to the point that they were licking and biting at it! Apparently salt from the ocean air stuck to his car and attracted the herd, mistaking it for a salt lick. While it’s humorous and a good conversation starter, it definitely was a shock to his insurance company.
Riding Shotgun… Literally
Ron Hettler of Hettler insurance recounted an act of negligence that can be covered by comprehensive insurance. In his story, he settled a claim for a man who had accidentally shot his shotgun through his car’s windshield. While most people wouldn’t even attempt filing for a claim after such negligence, thinking no one will believe them, Hettler encouraged the man to do so.
Such instances are covered by the company only if it’s proven to be done accidentally. So if ever shooting’s the way you cope with your stress, best do it out of your car and in a shooting range instead.
Hail and a Hammer
The lengths people will go through to get an insurance claim is absurd. Back in the 90s, the car insurance company, Block and Hyland, dealt with a lot of claims after a huge hail storm. Car after car were damaged and pelted by the hail, most of them genuine.
However, as matters go, there was a ballsy crook who tried to file a false insurance claim after the storm. Already sensing that something was amiss, the company sent a claims adjuster to inspect the hail damage. Turns out the owner itself dented his own car with a hammer to get insurance.