It sounds like the beginning of a corny joke, but it's actually among the strangest real-life claims that have come through Aviva.
Image via PixabayAn elephant squeezed into a van and a husband who accidentally cooked his wife's jewelry, are among the most unusual claims that Aviva has ever dealt with.
The insurance firm's trawled through its archives to unearth claims dating back centuries, as it approaches its 325th anniversary next month.
A leapfrogging vicar and someone being hit in the eye with a champagne cork are also among the quirkier claims it has recorded.
Another claim came in 1888 when a man injured his arm when his finger was caught in a woman’s corset in 1888 - apparently he was trying to save her from drowning.
In the same year, £10 was awarded to someone who lost a toenail while getting into bed.
Also in 1888 a surgeon in Dundee received £15 after a bite to the finger while examining a patient’s mouth.
While a few years earlier in 1884, a surgeon claimed for a "poisoned hand" while unpacking a box of drugs.
In 1887, a publican received £100 after suffering a shin injury while ejecting a drunken man.
Believe it or not, Aviva can trace it's roots back to 1696.
According to The Independent "the first policy was taken out on January 15 1697 and the first claim was paid on 11 May 1697 when houses in St Stephen’s Alley, Westminster, were “damnifyed by fire”.
