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🤯 Blowtorches and Collapsing Coral: The Craziest Claims I’ve Adjusted (So Far!)
As an insurance claims adjuster, I’m often asked the same question:
“What’s the craziest claim you’ve ever handled?”
To be honest, the answer is never easy—there have been many bizarre claims over the years. But if you're looking for proof that reality is often stranger than fiction, I’m happy to share a glimpse into my file cabinet.
Here are a few claims that immediately spring to mind:
🔥 The Blowtorch and the Bees
I’m currently involved in a claim that perfectly captures the “hold my beer” spirit of property damage.
- The Scenario: A homeowner decided to tackle a persistent bee nest near their house.
- The Idea: Their chosen method? Applying a blowtorch to the nest.
- The Catastrophe: They failed to notice they were using the blowtorch next to a highly flammable bee killer spray.
The result was an uncontrolled fire that caused significant property damage.
It’s a stark reminder that even seemingly simple pest-control tasks can spiral into complex insurance claims when judgment takes a vacation.
🐠 The Great Saltwater Flood
I’ve handled not one—but two—separate claims involving massive saltwater fish tanks collapsing. And trust me, it’s not just about wet carpet.
- The Disaster: 500-gallon saltwater aquariums that failed, releasing hundreds of gallons of water into luxury homes.
- The Damage: Saltwater is extremely corrosive. When it atomizes into the air, the mist is pulled into every part of the house.
The result?
- Immediate corrosion of wiring and electronic circuit boards
- Failure of HVAC and heating/cooling systems
- Widespread, non-obvious secondary damage
These claims quickly evolve from simple water losses into corrosive contamination claims, dramatically increasing complexity and cost.
🛑 But Wait, There’s More…
Believe it or not, these aren’t even the craziest claims I’ve adjusted. The truly unbelievable stories are still sitting in my archives.
It takes a professional eye to not only identify the obvious damage, but to understand the root cause—and the often-hidden secondary damage that follows. This is what we do every day.
Stay tuned.
I’ll be sharing some of the most mind-boggling cases I’ve encountered in a future article.
