Data from LV= General Insurance (LV= GI) revealed that accidental damage was the cause of the largest number of claims in 2021.
£14 million was paid out in claims compared with around £11 million in 2020 and £10 million in 2019.
1 March 2021 saw claims soar by 126%, marking it the most accident-prone date of the year. On average, accidental damage claims cost around £2,000, with issues relating to pets costing the most to fix and breakages accounting for the highest number of claims overall, particularly audio and visual electronic devices.
When looking at audio and visual electronic devices, TV’s over 32” accounted for 85% of accidental damage claims followed by a laptop/computer at 5%. Customer’s pets also created damage, causing six in 10 claims and 8% related to someone else’s pet. 21% of claims also related to vermin problems, with an LV= GI customer raising a claim after a badger set up home under the floorboards in the kitchen and gave birth to babies.
Overall the top five accidental damage claim types were:
| Claim type | Percentage of overall accidental damage claims | Average claim cost |
| Audio and Visual Electronic Devices | 26% | £560 |
| Computing and Office Equipment | 19% | £667 |
| Flooring and Carpets | 14% | £1,217 |
| Mobile Phones | 11% | £461 |
| Health Aids such as Hearing Aids and Glasses | 6% | £608 |
Martin Milliner, claims director at LV= General Insurance, said: “What a year we’ve had of accidents and mishaps around the home, mainly relating to breakages and pets. It’s so tricky to avoid some of these incidents when we’re all at home and accidental damage insurance is there for you if things do go wrong.
“It’s always worth checking the limit of your accidental damage policy to make sure you’ve got the right cover for your needs.”
