Staff members at British insurance company Admiral Group are used to receiving unusual motor vehicle insurance claims.
But the claim that turned up last month addressed to Brian the robot, the mascot of their price comparison website www.confused.com, was one that really stood out from the masses.
The British man was claiming for burns injuries and his wife for a cracked rib after an oven flew out of the doors of a removals van on the road ahead of them and crashed onto the bonnet of their car, obscuring their vision.
Says the man: “While braking, unable to see, my wife threw scalding hot tea all down the back of my neck and we veered off the road with the oven still embedded in our bonnet.
“You will notice that I am claiming for burns injury. My wife’s cracked rib was caused by her falling out of the car laughing at my predicament.”
The man finishes his letter by saying: “PS – Please find a photo that a passing policeman thoughtfully took for us as he said it would “have them in fits down the nick.”
And it was probably a good idea to enclose it for the benefit of claims staff too or that story would have left them feeling really confused.com.
It’s not the first time that motor insurance claims have provided much entertainment for the masses.
Well known British comedian Jasper Carrott (father of The Office star Lucy Davis) made it a signature of his stand-up routine to read out hilarious claims that people had submitted.
Here are ten of the best:
1. "The accident happened because I had one eye on the lorry in front, one eye on the pedestrian and the other on the car behind."
2. "I had been driving for forty years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident."
3. "No one was to blame for the accident but it would never have happened if the other driver had been alert."
4. "I saw a slow moving, sad faced old gentleman as he bounced off the roof of my car."
5. "I had been shopping for plants all day and was on my way home. As I reached an intersection a hedge sprang up obscuring my vision and I did not see the other car."
6. "I knew the dog was possessive about the car but I would not have asked her to drive it if I had thought there was any risk."
7. Q: Could either driver have done anything to avoid the accident? A: Travelled by bus?
8. "I started to slow down but the traffic was more stationary than I thought."
9. "I was going at about 70 or 80 mph when my girlfriend on the pillion reached over and grabbed my testicles so I lost control."
10. "I pulled into a lay-by with smoke coming from under the hood. I realised the car was on fire so took my dog and smothered it with a blanket."
