When your clients think of insurance, they likely think of the basics: home, car, property and health – which cover things like, well…their home, car, property and health. But people don’t often think about everything those coverages can include when strange and unusual situations present themselves, and because of that, they may be purchasing incomplete or insufficient coverages.
As a broker, you’ve likely seen an odd insurance claim or two in your day. If you’ve worked in the field for a long time, you may have even seen and heard many bizarre stories. Rare insurance tales can be inspirational, funny and educational. When they come across your desk, keeping the rarities your clients highlight in mind can actually help you to better cover all of their needs.
We recently came across two very extraordinary tales of caution and claims that really got our attention. Have you ever encountered anything like what is described in these real-life scenarios before?
A hunter from Missouri parked his beloved Chevy pickup truck in a pasture and strolled into the woods to hunt wild turkey. As the day progressed, he strained his ears to turkey calls, but heard only a crushing metal sound in the distance. After trying repeatedly to call the turkey and continuing to hear nothing in return, he slumped back to the pasture defeated. It was there that he found his prized truck, surrounded by horses that were repeatedly licking it. As he got closer, he realized they had done more than just lick the vehicle: the truck’s paint had been marred by teeth prints—the horses had even chewed parts of the fender and dented in the doors. He had trouble chasing them from the vehicle as they didn’t back up until he physically pulled away. As the horses disappeared in his rearview mirror, the hunter suddenly remembered the special polish he used after recently washing his truck: a special type of carnauba car wax that had an unmistakable (and also obviously irresistible) smell of fresh bananas. Luckily, the Missouri hunter had insurance, and his insurer paid the claim for the cost of repairs to the damaged pickup truck.
Tessa was enjoying a bone in her backyard, like she did on many occasions, when the oddest noise piqued her interest. She looked up from her bone to see that her owner, Derek, was attempting to wrangle some type of metal beast. He seemed to be winning, but Tessa rose from her snack to stand guard anyway. Once again, the metal beast made a guttural growling sound. Tessa looked toward Derek’s wife, Lisa, who paid no mind to the thrashing beast. It seemed to be taking Derek toward a tree where it would surely injure him. So, Tessa did what she must and, as the beast roared to life once more and continued its angry noise, she raced to save her owner. Lisa frantically began to call Tessa’s name, but Tessa would not be distracted. She would save Derek and destroy the metal contraption. So, she leapt, mouth open. Derek pushed Tessa away from his chainsaw just in time to save her life, but not soon enough to stop the chainsaw from catching her completely. After a couple leg and paw surgeries and some long time to recoup, Tessa made a full recovery. Thankfully, Tessa’s family’s insurer paid for the costs of her veterinary bills.
What’s the strangest claims story you’ve ever heard of? Maybe it was one that you experienced personally? Fill us in below, and don’t forget to subscribe to our blog!