British motorists made claims last year for everything from a frozen squirrel crashing through a car windshield to a cow jumping on a quad bike, an insurance company said on Monday.
Freak accidents involving animals topped the list of odd excuses for motor insurance claims with food-related mishaps in second place.
In one unfortunate incident, a driver claimed he was unable to slow down because a potato was wedged under the brake, while another blamed a flying, frozen kebab for damage.
“We see a lot of strange claims but we were surprised at how many involved animals and food, of all things,” said Sally Leeman of Norwich Union, one of the country’s biggest insurance providers.
“We can hardly tell drivers to beware of flying kebabs and frozen squirrels when they’re on the roads but this shows how important it is to be aware of what’s going on around you at all times.”
The top 10 motor insurance claims were:
- “A frozen squirrel fell out of a tree and crashed through the windscreen onto the passenger seat.”