Published: 23 May, 2012
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Bizarre Insurance Claims Of The Past And Present

Insurance companies see a lot of unusual policies proposed by the rich and famous. Whatever it is that one relies upon in their line of work, it is difficult to overestimate its value to their livelihood. Needless to say, when it comes to this estimation, some are more liberal than others. Let's take a look at a few seemingly bizarre insurance cases.

Is Holly Madison Mad?

As we've said, it is not at all unusual for people to insure their business assets. That said, Holly Madison's line of work has led her to very unusual lengths. Holly, who is perhaps best known for appearing on The Girls Next Door, insured her breasts for a sizeable $1 million. When questioned on the matter, Holly made it quite clear why she had made the decision: stating, “They're my primary money makers”.

David Lee Roth Talks To Bank About Sperm

At the height of their fame, Van Halen were a worldwide sensation. So popular, that vocalist, David Lee Roth, went so far as to take out an insurance policy against his own sperm. Unlike most other policies based on the body, this policy is not designed to protect his sperm. Instead, David hoped to receive a comfortable $1 million in the event of an unwanted pregnancy.

Tom Jones's Holy Chest

The now ageing Welsh heart-throb Tom Jones knows what it is that his fans want from him. Demonstrating this knowledge, Tom has taken out an insurance policy which covers the hair on his chest. Tom believes the secret to his success lies on his chest and without it his career would come to an end. Should anything happen to his glorious bed of hair, he will see compensation of up to £3.5 million.

Birmingham Spider Crab

The Birmingham Sea Life Centre took out a £1 million policy on behalf of its visitors some years ago. The policy was designed to protect visitors against loss of life and disability caused by the Japanese Spider Crab – a marine crab with a daunting leg span of up to 12ft. Despite the policy and the crab's particularly menacing appearance, so far, all visitors have remained unharmed.

Cross-eyed For Life

Early twentieth century comedian and actor, Ben Turpin, was well known for being cross-eyed. Much of his slapstick style comedy was built upon it and, as a result, he became one of the first celebrities to take out a bizarre insurance policy. Turpin's policy covered him for $25,000 in the event that his eyes 'uncrossed'.

As we have seen from these few examples, specialist insurance brokers have for some time been receiving some truly odd insurance propositions. These five stories are but a momentary glimpse of a plethora of outlandish claims filed in recent history. If you need specialist insurance that is not covered by standard insurance policies, check out the Lloyds website.