25 Most Ridiculous Insurance Claims Ever

Posted by , Updated on January 23, 2024

While insurance plays an important role in society there are pitfalls to any social system. Of course, not everybody on this list is out to suck as much money as they can from the insurance companies…some are genuinely having a terribly unfortunate day, but either way these claims can be pretty funny. These are the 25 most ridiculous insurance claims ever.

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25

Cow Lick

Cow lick

A couple vacationing in southern France filed an insurance claim for the paint on their car after it got licked off by a herd of cows.

24

Isabel Parker’s Slip and Fall

24 isabel parker_tn

For 7 years between 1993 and 2000 Isabel Parker pretended to slip and fall in various locations. After doing it nearly 49 times she filed insurance claims worth nearly a millions dollars. Unfortunately for her the insurance company didn’t fall for it.

23

Marc Thompson’s Arson

23 Marc_Bentley_Thompson_admitted_arson._PHOTO_Bob_Weatherston_t500x319_tn

Marc Thompson burned down his house while his 90 year old mother was inside in order to collect $730,000 of insurance. He is now serving 190 years behind bars.

22

Monkey Business

Monkey business

While vacationing in Malasia a couple had their clothes stolen and scattered around the jungle by a thieving band of monkeys. The insurance company agreed to cover their losses.

21

Broken nose, broken pride

Bus shelter

A British tourist in Athens ended up running into a bus shelter after supposedly being distracted by a group of females. In spite of his embarrassing mistake the insurance company still cover the hospital bill.

20

Don’t Sleep And Drive

20 Gary Hart_tn

Fortis insurance paid out a whopping $44 million when Gary Hart fell asleep at the wheel and killed 10 people.

19

Parachute Problems

Parachute

A family on vacation in England were in for a surprise when a parachutist landed on their equipment destroying most of it. The insurance company wouldn’t pay for the damages.

18

A Slippery Slope

18 skiing_tn

Snow sports aren’t exactly known for being safe. Maybe this is why every winter insurers dish out over a $100 million.

17

iPhone Issues

iphone issues

A farmer in Minnesota filed a claim on his iPhone when he lost it in the rear end of a cow when he was helping with calving in the middle of the night.

16

Mouse Soup

Mouse

A Virginia woman filed a claim against Cracker Barrel when she said she found a mouse in her soup. Upon closer inspection by the restaurant they determine that there was no cheese in the rodents lungs and therefore the mouse was not cooked with the food. The woman is now in jail for attempted extortion.

15

Watch Out

Rolex

A jeweler in London tried to file a claim when a customer brought him a 200 pound watch to fix. He accidentally ended up returning him a 10,000 pound watch but the insurance company decided he was on his own.

14

Up In Smoke

Cigars

A clever lawyer bought a pack of cigars and had them insured against all sorts of catastrophes including floods, storms, and of course fire. A few months later he filed a claim saying his cigars had all disappeared in a series of “small fires”. The insurance company correctly assumed that he had smoked them and told him to get lost. The judge however force the insurance company to pay up because they didn’t specify the type or size of fire in the contract.

13

A Wet Wedding

A Wet Wedding

When the bride’s dress caught on fire the future husband grabbed her and through her into the Caribbean water. Although the wedding didn’t really go as planned at least the insurance company was willing to dish out for the dress.

12

Merry Christmas!

Christmas tree

An Indiana man driving home from Christmas shopping was behind a car with a Christmas tree attached to the roof when all of a sudden the tree slid off and came crashing through his windshield. The other driver sped off and the police ended up telling him he might as well keep the tree. A free tree and a brand new windshield…not a bad Christmas.

11

Camel Kick

Camel kick

A man on vacation in Australia put in a claim on his car after a wild camel supposedly kicked in the door. The insurance company was understandably weary but after a video evidence was produced they forked over the cash.

10

Elevator Experience

Elevator

A safety training instructor was working with several trainees when the elevator they were using for demonstrations got stuck. Although the trainees got some real world experience they didn’t see it that way. The insurance companies had to pay for the “mental anguish” they suffered as a result of being exposed to what they were training for.

9

Nokia Cake

Nokia

A North Carolina woman somehow managed to accidentally bake her Nokia phone in her daughters birthday cake. The insurance company decline to pay damages.

8

Where’d the snow go?

Green mountain

A British woman that bought new skis to go skiing in the Alps decided to try collecting on them after she arrived and realized there was no snow. The insurance company refused citing her lack of foresight.

7

Head Banging

Coconut tree

A woman in Sri  Lanka was knocked out cold by a falling coconut as she sat reading under a palm tree. Apparently this incident isn’t uncommon and apparently ever year about 150 people are killed by falling coconuts. The insurance company paid in full.

6

Loose Teeth

Lost dentures

A man on an Alaskan cruise apparently lost his dentures overboard as he was surveying the ocean. He filed a lost baggage claim with the insurance company but was denied.

5

Buried Treasure

Buried camera

The children of a couple on vacation in Italy ended up burying their parent’s camera in the sand. Fortunately the insurance company didn’t bury their claim.

4

A Titanic Claim

Titanic

A couple made a claim on their camera after they lost it over the side of cruise ship trying to film themselves recreating that  scene in Titanic.

3

Head Butt

Deer headbutt

A claim was filed by a Virginia man stating that his windshield was head butted by an angry deer on his way to work. Unfortunately evidence was lacking.

2

The Global Financial Crisis

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Since the Great Depression of the 1930′s, the recent global financial crisis was by far the most financially devastating. It led to insurance companies dishing out over $100 billion.

1

A Goose and a Diamond

Goose

A Texas woman filed a claim on her diamond ring after her goose swallowed it. Apparently she had spent several weeks sifting through goose poop without any luck. The insurance company refused to pay but did suggest dissection. The woman’s tough choice was made for her when the goose flew away.