Dogs driving vans, stolen false teeth, and speeding jandals were among State Insurance’s most peculiar claims of the year.
The insurer has released a list of the most curious claims of the last calendar year, with animal-related incidents a common feature.
Wayne Tippet, State’s executive general manager claims, said: “It seemed that wild animals and pets were up to no good last year. We received several claims where animals had let loose in our customers’ homes, causing unbelievable damage.”
Here are some of the highlights from the group’s claims team:
Flip-flops & repair shops
A loose jandal caused trouble on the road, with one customer’s mother catching her foot on the accelerator pedal.
The vehicle came to a stop after hitting a stranger’s garage.
Protective peacock
One customer’s pet peacock managed to get into their bathroom. Upon seeing itself, the peacock attacked the ‘intruder’ and caused significant damage within the home.
Dog disaster
Another customer’s vehicle was hit by a dog driving a van. The pup, sitting in a van, had somehow managed to release the handbrake.
The van rolled backwards down the driveway and crashed into the customer’s vehicle, which was parked on the other side of the road.
Pets tampering with vehicle parts are a “common occurence” for claims handlers, Tippet said.
False teeth lost
Another customer took out their false teeth to enjoy some lunch, putting them in a jacket pocket. They later discovered their jacket was stolen, along with the teeth.
Ready, set, check the tailgate
One customer was working out in the country for the day and had packed chainsaws for work.
At the end of the long day, they loaded everything onto the back of their ute. Their cell phone rung so they answered, forgetting to close the tailgate.
While it was a peaceful drive home, the customer was shocked to find an open tailgate and most of their tools and saws missing.
The customer managed to find a few tools on the side of the road looking a bit worse for wear.
Sadly though, most of their tools had been lost.
