Zurich reveals the 12 claims of Christmas

New figures from Zurich UK show that Christmas comes but once a year, and when it does mishaps can be dear.

The insurer received almost 10,000 claims last Christmas, almost half of which were for accidental damage. These ranged from a candle setting fire to the dinner table to snowballs filled with stones smashing windows. It’s safe to say that last Christmas wasn’t completely filled with cheer for everyone.

The 12 Claims of Christmas

Whilst it ‘tis the season to be jolly, some were left feeling like their tinsel was in a tangle after having to make a claim during the holiday season. Here are some of the classic Christmas claims Zurich UK received last year:

• Burning the table, not the turkey: Just about to tuck into the turkey, one family Christmas dinner ended up quite heated as the candle in the centre piece caught fire causing over £10,000 of damage.
• It’s ‘snow’ joke when playtime is shattered: Everyone loves a good old fashioned snowball fight. However, one policyholder was left with a broken window when they found out the hard way that there was a stone in their snowball. This innocent game ended up costing more than £1,600 worth of damage.
• Tipples can topple: It can be fun playing host to your nearest and dearest over the festive season. However, one customer said their guest was left red-faced when they accidentally spilled red wine over their brand-new cream carpets, which cost almost £3,000 to replace.
• Reindeer on the run: Father Christmas may need to keep better control of his team this year, as some drivers reported collisions with deer over Christmas last year. Not only could this leave Rudolph with more than a red nose, but it left one policyholder with more than £10,000 worth of damage to their vehicle.
• Dinner is dripping: Christmas dinner is the highlight of the day for many, but freezer malfunctions ruined it for more than 200 households last year. One customer had to throw away £325 worth of food, their entire Christmas menu.
• Smells like Christmas: Real Christmas trees can leave homes smelling festive for weeks but it’s important to make sure your tree container doesn’t leak. One couple learnt this the hard way as the water from their tree pot leaked all over the carpet.
• Cousins can be competitive: Family games can get heated at Christmas as no one likes to lose. However, keep a tight grip on game controllers as they can cause considerable damage if they are thrown. Multiple customers reported children (and adults) accidentally letting go of Wii controllers and cracking TV screens.
• Silent Night: One customer was left with not just a silent night, but a silent Christmas when they lost their hearing aids during a family walk last year. Another policyholder reported accidentally running over their hearing aids, causing £2,525 worth of damage, but saving them the hassle of listening to their in-laws.
• Soggy gifts: It can be hard finding good places to hide Christmas presents around the home, especially if there are young children in the house. However, be careful storing gifts in the loft. One mother went to get the gifts down to wrap them and discovered a pipe had burst. Not only did it drench the presents, but the leak also caused more than £22,000 worth of damage.
• Fireworks cause more than a bang: New Year’s Eve often goes off with a big bang. But before one customer could sing Auld Lang Syne a firework startled them causing them to accidentally throw what they were holding at the TV. Unfortunately, the TV needed replacing which is not a great way to start the New Year.
• Midnight mass goes wrong: Midnight mass went wrong for one customer last year when he dropped his camera at church. The camera was irreparable and needed replacing.
• New Year, New Home: The Christmas break can be a great time to tackle projects that you’ve put off all year long and re-invent yourself or your home – especially if you have time off work. However, be careful when decorating and doing DIY as you do not want to end up kicking paint over on the carpets. This mishap could has cost some customers almost £1,000 to fix.

James Nicholson, UK Chief Claims Officer, commented:

“Many look forward to Christmas all year and plan meticulously so that they can make precious memories with their family. However, while we may like to think that the festivities will be full of magic, there are some things you can’t plan for. From setting the dining room on fire with centre piece mishaps right through to a foul fowl.

“It's not just accidental damage claims we see at Christmas time, more than one in ten are for escape of water and burst pipes. Whatever the peril, make sure you take the same level of caution you would throughout the year to avoid any dampers on Christmas celebrations.”

*Based on home and motor claims between 1st December 2022 to 4th January 2023.