Personal Insurance Blog

When I first started my job here at Gordon Atlantic Insurance, I wasn’t much of an insurance expert (I’m still not). In order to know what all my coworkers were talking about I started to educate myself by the easiest means possible:  Google!

I found some pretty interesting stuff. I’m not talking about the regular policies -- home insurance, life insurance, auto insurance, etc. -- it was the weird stuff that caught my attention.

Now I understand how important all the “normal” insurance policies are. Without “normal” insurance, disaster could strike and keep on striking. I thought I might share with you some atypical insurance stories I found on my Google odyssey.

Claims

Much to my surprise, there are entire websites devoted to ridiculous insurance claims. Most of these claimants oh-so-cleverly share their story in an attempt to suggest innocence. Here are some of my favorites:

-“A pedestrian hit me and went under my car.” (Those darn pedestrians always get in the way).

-“I didn’t think the speed limit applied after midnight.” (It does?!)

-“I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way.” (Stationary...?)

-“Windscreen broken. Cause unknown. Probably voodoo.” (This one is by far my favorite. Clearly voodoo is the most reasonable explanation.)

Policies

While it might come as no surprise that celebrities insure the things that contribute to their fame (vocal chords, legs, smiles), you might be surprised to hear that there are people that also cover mustaches, taste buds and even chest hair.

Even more fascinating, people can get insurance for alien abductions. We’re talking about people paying money so in case little green men ever take them off this planet, they’re covered (the people, not the aliens). To elaborate even further, if aliens impregnate the abductee, the claim is worth even more. Since we earthlings are uninformed about the capabilities of alien technology, men are also available to purchase this type of insurance. Astonishingly enough, there are insurance companies that have paid some of these alien claims.

Stories

I also stumbled upon some entertaining stories. Insurance can be a tricky thing, and these stories are prime examples of odd circumstances and loopholes.

For instance, a person had a washing machine that broke and the steam damaged the entire kitchen. When this person filed for a claim, the insurance company said that steam was not covered on the insurance policy. The case was brought to court and was won. Why? This person had a policy for water damage, and steam is just the gaseous form of water. (Looks like that insurance company needs to take a basic chemistry class).

Another humorous story discusses a man who insured fancy cigars for fire damage. After he smoked those cigars, he filed a claim. The insurance company denied his claim, and this man brought the case to court. As surprising as it may sound, the judge ruled in favor of the case. However, the insurance company quickly responded back by suing the man for counts of arson. The man ended up being the loser in this situation; he was found guilty and went to jail.

Perhaps the most important thing I learned from this experience was that insurance can be complicated. The more you know the better. And, seeing as insurance can cover nearly everything under the sun, make sure you at least have the basics (home, auto, life, etc.) before you get your mustache insured.

To discuss your needs with a Gordon Atlantic Insurance professional, please call us toll free at 1-800-649-3252. Prefer to type versus talk? Use the form to the left of this blog. For a no obligation quote, click below!