Data from LV= General Insurance (LV= GI), one of the largest home insurers in the UK, shows that 2021 was the year of accidents at home as accidental damage claims topped the charts.
A whopping £14m was paid out in claims compared with around £11m in 2020 and £10m in 2019.
When looking back over the year, 1st 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 havoc, causing six in 10 claims and 8% related to someone else’s pet causing chaos. Over one in five (21%) 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 little badger babies, making a home for themselves.
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.”
