A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World

Car Insurance Claims: 15 of the Most Bizarre Excuses Ever Filed

Updated: Apr. 05, 2023

Real (and really odd) excuses about car accidents made for insurance claims.

1 / 16
iStock/Samuel Burt

Blame the in-laws

“I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment.” Probably not the best route for family bonding. Check out these other 27 funny (but painfully relatable) family vacation stories.

2 / 16
iStock/DavidHCoder

Seeing is believing

“I thought my window was down but I found it was up when I put my head through it.” Probably not the most effective way to think with your head.

3 / 16
iStock/james Anderson

No warning

“The other car collided with mine without giving me warning of its intention.” The question is: Did the other car know its intention either?

4 / 16
iStock/EduardSV

Gotta protect the bumper

“To avoid hitting the bumper of the car in front I struck a pedestrian.” Hey, everyone has different priorities. Can’t say we condone these ones though. Drivers–this one-second tire test can save your life. 

5 / 16
iStock/ericsphotography

Old age

“I was sure the old fellow would never make it to the other side of the road when I struck him.” Guaranteed the fellow didn’t make it after that! Find out how to tell if your elderly loved one should stop driving.

6 / 16
iStock/mmac72

The bus was early!

“Going to work at 7:00 this morning I drove out of my driveway straight into a bus. The bus was 5 minutes early.” This is why learning to be a little spontaneous never hurts. Neither does checking the rear-view mirrors. Don’t miss these other 34 hilarious excuses real people have used to get out of work.

7 / 16
iStock/Cathy Yeulet

But I was legally parked!

“My car was legally parked as it backed into another vehicle.” At least this driver won’t have a parking ticket on top of repair costs.

8 / 16
iStock/OcusFocus

So that’s why my head hurt

“I told the police that I was not injured, but on removing my hat I found that I had a fractured skull.”

9 / 16
iStock/mmz

Anything goes after midnight

“I didn’t think the speed limit applied after midnight.” Looks like someone needs to go back to drivers ed. Could you still answer these tricky questions from real driving tests correctly?

10 / 16
iStock/DIMUSE

Blame the evil spirits

“Windshield broken. Cause unknown. Probably voodoo.” Sounds like as good a guess as any, especially compared to these 41 ridiculous things people actually believed as kids.

11 / 16
iStock/Christopher Futcher

Power steering problems

“I had been learning to drive with power steering. I turned the wheel to what I thought was enough and found myself in a different direction going the opposite way.” Perhaps a few more lessons are in order.

12 / 16
iStock/Marcin Kilarski

Terrible traffic

“I started to slow down, but the traffic was more stationary than I thought.” We have a feeling someone wasn’t keeping their eyes on the road. Maybe the driver was too busy looking at these 18 funny road signs worth slowing down for.

13 / 16
iStock/Stacey Newman

Blame the humans

“I bumped into a lamppost which was obscured by human beings.” Must have been some tall humans. Check out these funniest excuses ever uttered.

14 / 16
iStock/walik

My dog was driving

“I knew the dog was possessive about the car, but I would not have asked her to drive it if I thought there was any risk.” To be fair, a dog might be better behind the wheel than the driver who thought that excuse was a good idea. If this made the news, it would belong with these funny headlines that were actually printed.

15 / 16
iStock/monkeybusinessimages

Shoulda had more coffee

“No one was to blame for the accident but it would never have happened if the other driver had been alert.” Excuses, excuses. For more laughs, read these 25 funny real-life examples of irony.

16 / 16

More Fun and Fascinating Facts!

Check out the latest Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader titles at bathroomreader.com.