They Tried what? Tales of Bizarre Claims

Claims consultant Chris Tidball has worked for P&C carriers for more than 20 years, in roles ranging from claims adjusting to management. He recalls a gypsy who roamed around Southern California in a van that he reported stolen, which contained lots of valuable "stuff" that the gypsy could somehow never describe. When the claim was denied, the case went to trial. During an examination under oath, the gypsy pointed a magician's wand at Tidball and started speaking a strange language in an attempt to cast a curse on the insurance man.

2. The case of the vanishing gold bars

Another Tidball tale involves Walter A., the client whom Tidball recalls as the "biggest nut." Walter presented a claim for a stolen van that was carrying $500,000 in gold bars, which, of course, he wanted covered as well. "Imagine our shock when the van turned up burned to a crisp and all the gold was missing." Walter would personally come to the office every morning at 8 a.m. to demand his check—a ritual that continued for around 90 days. "He would come in and get belligerent, then would feign having a heart attack, asking us to help him find his nitro pills. He was truly certifiable."

3. The case of the soaked survivalists

Steve Schroeder, vice president of claims at NFP, has been in the property & casualty business for almost 25 years. He recalls the elderly owners of a newly renovated home who made a $350,000 water-damage claim after heavy rains and an inadequate sump pump ruined what they described as "valuable items" in their storage area. After investigation, the storage area was actually a bomb shelter dating back to the Cold War era that the couple kept secret. Stuffed in the shelter were thousands of meticulously arranged items set aside for an apocalypse—soap, toothpaste, canned goods and more, which the owners claimed were worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The insurer ended up paying around $200,000 to settle.

4. The case of the conniving construction workers

Schroeder recalls a contractor client that filed a claim involving the death of a foreman on the building site of an apartment complex. The claim went to mediation and was set to settle for $3.2 million. All parties were at the meeting and ready to sign the paperwork when the foreman's widow whispered to Schroeder that she had to speak with him immediately. After going to a private room, she told Schroeder that she wanted all of the money to be placed into a structured settlement for her two children, ages 2 and 4. It turned out that her deceased husband was not well liked by the crew, two of whom had proposed marriage to the widow, knowing that the death settlement would make her a millionaire. However, the police could not prove foul play—so the case had to settle.

5. The case of the cruising cat ladies

One of Schroeder's most memorable cases involved a trucking-company client that had a claim filed against a driver. The claimant alleged the truck hit a station wagon and injured the driver and her passenger. The truck driver insisted that it wasn't his fault; the vehicle had appeared out of nowhere. Investigating state police and SIU personnel found no truck skid marks, but several dead cats on the highway at the accident site. It turned out that the driver and her passenger, whose station wagon had been loaded with cats, had been literally driving in circles in the rural area—first in the southbound lane, then crossing the embankment and heading north. When the truck driver T-boned the station wagon, several cats flew out the vehicle's windows and were killed. The claim was pulled.