What's next for Personal Lines insurance?
We’ve been comparing claims statistics from the past few years, and discovered that accident prone Brits are damaging more laptops than ever during lockdown.
Our findings have revealed that claims for laptops have increased by more than 20% compared to the previous year, with spilt coffee, stampeding children and excitable pets among the reasons for damage.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, spilling drinks was one of the most frequent causes of damage (39%). And while tea (13%), coffee (21%) and glasses of water (31%) topped the list of liquid offenders, some more unusual substances also featured.
One cultured claimant spilt red wine on their laptop watching a live-streamed theatre performance during lockdown. Another unfortunate party goer spilt prosecco over their machine while toasting in the New Year on Zoom. Meanwhile, one customer got into a sticky situation when a strawberry daquiri descended on her device.
They say never work with children or animals, and it seems this might even be true when laptops are involved.
One customer was making a claim after their grandchildren had dropped a laptop into the hot tub. The quick-thinking grandparent reportedly tried to dry it out…by putting it on the radiator.
Several Ageas customers explained that their children had spilt milk over their laptops last year, perhaps counteracting the age old saying ‘there’s no use in crying over spilt milk’.
Our analysis shows children were involved in 17% of claims made by Ageas’ customers for accidental damage to laptops in 2020. With four-legged members of the family also taking responsibility for household headaches, we received regular reports of cats and dogs knocking laptops off tables and sofas in 2020.
Robin Challand, Claims Director at Ageas, said, “We’ve become even more reliant on our laptops during the pandemic, but it seems they’re never too far from a potential accident in the home. Whether it’s a flying cuppa, wagging tails or overenthusiastic toddlers, danger lurks in all kinds of places.
“Having contents insurance and selecting accidental damage cover can provide peace of mind that, if the worst happens, you’re able to get back up and running again quickly.”
