Do Strange Claims Incidents Reveal Step Towards Scottish Independence?

Insurance claims come in all shapes and size. While most are run-of-the-mill claims surrounding everyday occurrences, there is always the odd one, which stands out due to being beyond the pale or just absolutely crazy.

One of the leading insurers was keen to share some of its unusual claims for 2019, with a few tales of the unexpected in the mix23. Who would have thought that putting a lit sparkler into a dog poop bin would lead to a nearby furniture store being burnt to the ground? Who could ever have imagined that over 69 vehicles would find themselves cemented in situ, due to a concrete mixer getting a little bit out of control?

And, what about the claimant wanting a payout for repair to a damaged fallen unicorn? At first glance, this may have seemed a mythical beast of a claim but Googling ‘fallen unicorn in London’ does bring up an interesting little story from October 2019.

Apparently, a delivery truck was audacious enough to collide with the gates at Buckingham Palace, managing to severely damage a unicorn in the process. The poor creature, which represented Scotland in the Royal Coat of Arms, was left in bits, with garlands and chains scattered on the ground all around him. Meanwhile, the mighty Lion, representing England, soldiered on, clinging to the gate without its Scottish counterpart.

A Scottish wit, keen to take to Twitter, claimed this made Scotland legally independent24. Perhaps, therefore, the full details of the claim made for very interesting reading, particularly if one Ms N Sturgeon was at the wheel at the time the century-old ceremonial centrepiece was smashed apart!

1https://who.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/c88e37cfc43b4ed3baf977d77e4a0667

2https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51439400

3 https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/article-chinas-manufacturing-shutdown-has-nhl-players-strapped-for-sticks/

4https://www.ft.com/content/3c179494-49c6-11ea-aeb3-955839e06441

5https://www.statista.com/statistics/515789/chinese-tourist-visits-to-the-united-kingdom-uk/

6https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-51318246

7https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-insurance/many-global-firms-excluded-from-epidemic-insurance-face-heavy-coronavirus-costs-idUSKBN1ZS1CU

8https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/05/coronavirus-global-economy

9https://www.maplecroft.com/insights/analysis/resumption-of-business-wont-ease-coronavirus-impact-on-global-supply-chains/

10 https://www.mdd.com/forensic-accounting-articles/non-damage-business-interruption/

11 https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/au/news/professional-liability/professional-indemnity-sector-continues-to-harden-176920.aspx

12 https://www.ceca.co.uk/ceca-pi-insurance-will-be-a-major-challenge-for-contractors-in-2020/

13 https://www.insurancetimes.co.uk/corporate-insight/expert-view-the-changing-professional-indemnity-market-where-is-the-quality-cover/1430543.article

14 https://www.willistowerswatson.com/en-GB/Insights/2019/03/uk-construction-professional-indemnity-market-update

15https://www.building.co.uk/news/call-for-clarity-on-building-regs-as-insurers-limit-cladding-work/5093513.article

16https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/41_david_pryce_slides.pdf

17https://www.fscs.org.uk/what-we-cover/insurance/

18https://www.fscs.org.uk/about-us/brexit/

19https://www.moneywise.co.uk/news/2019-05-23%E2%80%8C%E2%80%8C/millions-brits-are-going-holiday-without-travel-insurance

20https://www.cii.co.uk/news-insight/media/press-releases/articles/brexits-impact-on-travel-insurance-revealed/90244

21https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/oct/09/solo-trips-on-rise-travellers-opt-for-me-time-abta-report

22https://www.avantitravelinsurance.co.uk/mature-travel-trends

23https://youtalk-insurance.com/news/allianz-insurance-plc/allianz-reveals-its-unusual-claims-for-2019

24https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/scottish-unicorn-knocked-buckingham-palace-gates-delivery-lorry-1406170