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.”
- “The car was parked when a reindeer fell on the bonnet of my car.”
- “As I was driving round a bend, one of the doors opened and a frozen kebab flew out, hitting and damaging a passing car.”
- “A herd of cows licked my car and caused damage to the paintwork.”
- “A zebra collided with my car when I was at a safari park.”
- “While I was waiting at traffic lights, a wasp went down my trouser leg which made me hit the accelerator and prang the car in front.”
- “I couldn’t brake because a potato was lodged behind the brake.”
- “My parked car was hit by a bull which had escaped from an agricultural show.”
- “A cow jumped on my quad bike.”
- “As I came over the hill, I hit a cow in the middle of the road, which then hit the bonnet and shattered the windscreen with its rear end.” – AFP