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  • Writer's pictureDick Ostrander

Real Claim Stories from Our Files

As a local, independent insurance agency in Bellingham, we write all kinds of policies for all kinds of people. When claims occur, our clients call us to explain what happened and ask for guidance. What follows is a short list of some of our more interesting claims.


False Teeth Nicely Covered: One of our homeowner clients had an in- law staying with them one weekend. When the in-law awoke one morning and reached to the night stand to retrieve their dentures, they were missing. Nearby, the family dog was gnawing on you know what.

In another case, an auto insurance client told us he was having a heated discussion with his girlfriend as she exited his vehicle. As she slammed the door behind her, her dentures fell to the ground while she yelled one last remark. Our client roared away, promptly driving over her now suddenly worthless dentures.


Believe it or not, the denture owners were both reimbursed by our client’s carrier for damage to their property.


Bad Dogs and Bad Cats: Good dogs love and protect owners and their property, right? So, when one of our homeowner clients called to say his dog did a good thing protecting his property, I wondered what he meant. Our client was convinced his dog tore his house apart in a fit of rage in order to keep a would-be intruder out of the house. Our client wanted to know if the damage would be covered. He told me the damage paled in comparison to what a burglary claim would have entailed if not for his dog’s heroics. Our client was disappointed to hear there is no coverage for damage caused by your own pet.


In another case, one of our homeowner clients, who owned a cat, had recently moved to MA from CT. Apparently her cat objected to the move. It’s my understanding cats are not shy about making their feelings known. Apparently their cat had scratched, soiled and shredded upwards of $10,000 worth of personal property. Since it was their own cat, there was no coverage.


No Offer on the House, But the Diamond’s a Keeper: One of our clients was in the process of selling their lovely home. During the process, they spent time between their for-sale house and their house on Cape Cod. Upon inspection of their personal property at their for-sale house, they realized a piece of jewelry valued at $48,000 had disappeared. Since the item was scheduled on a jewelry rider, their claim was covered. Any number of real estate agents and would-be buyers had been through the house in previous months. I can almost hear the real estate agent encouraging would-be buyers to take a look around the house and help themselves, to which they replied, “Oh, we will.”

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