Insurers face mystery cow, cannabis farm & robot mower

Clear Insurance Management has published a list of unusual insurance claims, offering a glimpse into the range of incidents commercial brokers can face.

The cases include household flooding caused by a moving washing machine, a written-off vehicle linked to a mystery cow on a motorway, and a rented flat turned into a cannabis farm. All were real, the broker said, and have been anonymised.

In one case, a leaseholder came home to find a flooded kitchen and a washing machine several feet from its original position. Uneven legs had caused the appliance to vibrate across the floor during a spin cycle, pulling a water pipe from the wall. Insurers paid for the damage to the floor.

Another involved a client who wrote off a GBP £50,000 vehicle after swerving to avoid a cow on a motorway in the early hours. Attempts to trace the animal led to a nearby farm, but every cow was accounted for. The claim was paid, and recovery efforts were dropped.

In a separate landlord claim, a tenant had converted a leased flat into a cannabis farm. After police forced entry, the landlord asked whether the heat lamps left behind could be sold online to help cover repair costs. The broker advised on the Proceeds of Crime Act, and insurers paid the claim.

Disputed Claims

Not every claim succeeded. A golf club lost a GPS-controlled robotic lawnmower after it was found upside down in a water hazard. Drag marks suggested someone had deliberately thrown it into the water.

The £17,000 claim for the mower was initially declined twice before insurers agreed to pay. In another case, a hotel guest returned after five months and demanded a Prada bag said to contain £17,000 worth of goods, while threatening legal action over alleged theft.

The hotel had stored the bag, tried several times to contact the guest, and later handed it to the police in line with standard procedure. Insurers declined the claim because the guest had no evidence of trying to recover the belongings.

Among the more unusual submissions was a hand-illustrated truck collision report featuring stick figures drawn from several angles. The driver in the sketch was shown with an open mouth, alongside the explanation: "as you can see, the driver was suffering from shock," according to the report.

Neil Grimes, claims director at Clear Insurance Management, said: "Behind every unusual claim is a client who needed support at a genuinely difficult moment, however extraordinary the circumstances. It's what makes this industry as rewarding as it is surprising."

He added that the stranger cases also highlighted the role brokers can play when insurers challenge a claim or try to limit a payout.

"Insurers' primary goal is to pay all claims presented, but when there is a basis to decline or limit a settlement, having an experienced broker in your corner to challenge that decision where appropriate is vital. Whether you're a landlord dealing with the aftermath of a criminal tenant, a business owner facing a disputed liability, or a fleet operator caught in a jurisdictional argument between insurers, the outcome often hinges on how the claim is presented and pursued. Our job is to make sure clients aren't left to navigate that alone," Grimes said.