In 2023, insurance companies in India had to deal with some unusual motor accident claims that gave them both a headache and maybe a laugh. These claims included coconuts falling on unsuspecting cars, stray dogs causing damages, angry peacocks pecking at car reflections, and stressed elephants venting on vehicles. While many of these incidents can be seen as unique to the Indian market, some could have easily made it to a funny-fail video. One incident that stands out is a buyer accidentally driving a car through a showroom window.

Insurers in India reported that the most common accident claim arises from being hit from behind by another vehicle. Frontal collisions come next, followed by hit-and-run cases. Claims for colliding with a fixed object or a parked vehicle are relatively lower but still part of mainstream claims. Falling branches also make it onto the list of accident claims.

However, there are also a few outlier claims involving animals. Many states in India witness human-elephant conflicts, resulting in claims for damages caused by elephants. New age insurer Go Digit revealed that they have paid more than 20 claims where an elephant was the primary cause of damage. Stray dogs are another growing concern, with one area in Lucknow reporting 110 cases of vehicles being damaged by strays.

Easwara Narayanan, Chief Operating Officer of Go Digit, highlighted the problem of stray dogs causing damage to cars, particularly in a specific area of a city. He also mentioned the increasing number of claims for coconut casualties. While public sector insurance companies do not maintain a database of claims by the cause of the accident, there have been reports of angry peacocks pecking at car reflections and causing damage. Additionally, one peculiar incident involved a car being irrecoverably lost in a gorge at a construction site and being settled as a constructive total loss.

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance also experienced animal-related claims, with instances of buffaloes and goats causing damage to cars, as well as monkeys dropping objects on vehicles. One particularly unique case involved a car buyer driving a vehicle through the showroom glass.

These unique challenges faced by insurance companies in India highlight the importance of comprehensive coverage that protects against not only common accidents but also unexpected incidents like falling coconuts and encounters with jumbos.