A summary of the most striking insurance cases in Latvia in 2025

Kittens in a chimney shaft and an experiment with turmeric – a summary of the most striking insurance cases in Latvia in 2025

BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS (hereinafter – BTA) has compiled a summary of the most memorable insurance cases in Latvia in 2025 – from sawed up walls, rescuing kittens born in a chimney shaft, and an experiment with turmeric that damaged the floor at home, to a car pecked by a crow and a cabinet that fell on someone's head at night. According to Ivo Danče, Director of the BTA Insurance Claims Department, each year's insurance statistics show how unusual, even unmatched and unpredictable situations can occur in anyone's daily life, causing significant financial losses.

A wall had to be cut open to rescue kittens from a chimney shaft, and an experiment with turmeric damaged the floor

Last year, there were several unusual insurance claims in real estate insurance. For example, the owner of an electric scooter kept the vehicle in their apartment when the battery suddenly exploded. The explosion caused a fire and damaged the apartment – BTA paid the insurance indemnity of EUR 4,000 for this incident.

Another incident occurred in a house in Kurzeme, where a cat decided to give birth to her kittens in a chimney shaft. Realizing that they would not be able to rescue the kittens on their own, the owners called the fire department. To rescue the five fluffy creatures, the firefighters had to cut through the wall and part of the fireplace. In turn, to repair the damage caused during the kitten rescue operation, the insurer paid out €1,000 as insurance indemnity.

This year, children's mischief has also caused property damage – in one case, while their parents were away, young children conducted an experiment with turmeric, a spice with a very distinctive colour that causes stubborn stains. The mixture created during the experiment spilled, and the children tried to clean it up, but the strong colour irreparably damaged part of the apartment's flooring and walls – BTA paid the insurance indemnity of EUR 1,200 for the repairs.

"Children often bring different surprises into our lives, both when playing and when getting into mischief – in fact, this is part of every parent's daily life, which simply has to be accepted, and for which one must be financially prepared. For example, if you have a child in your family, there is a good chance that a "work of art" will eventually appear on the wall. This year, for example, a three-year-old child "tested whether the brilliant green solution was really green" by drawing on the oak walls of the house. BTA paid out nearly €500 in insurance compensation so that the family could repair the damage to the walls," says Ivo Danče, Director of the Insurance Compensation Department at BTA.

He adds that pets also often cause damage by scratching walls and furniture, running around and knocking over valuable items, etc. For example, BTA paid the insurance indemnity to a cat owner whose four-legged pet managed to damage not only the wallpaper, but also a monitor and a door.

Car mishaps – a crow pecks at a car roof hatch and a marten chews through wires

In one of the most expensive CASCO insurance cases, a truck driver failed to observe the bridge height restriction and got stuck while driving under the Vanšu Bridge in Riga. As a result, the car's trailer was severely damaged, and the insurance indemnity exceeded EUR 10,000. In another case, significant losses were incurred when a sudden gust of wind broke the car door – the indemnity sum for repairing the damaged door reached EUR 1,789.

Similarly, another car owner's plan to wash his car resulted in a disaster – when entering a self-service car wash, the driver did not notice the ice and slid into the dividing wall. The accident damaged the car's front bumper, headlight, decorative grille, license plate frame, and front parking sensors. In this case, CASCO insurance covered more than €900 in repair costs.

"When it comes to damage to cars, birds and animals are often responsible for quite unusual situations – for example, this year a crow damaged a man's car by pecking at the rubber seals of the sunroof, causing water to leak into the interior during rain. In another case, a Eurasian jay bird crashed into the front radiator grille of a car while it was being driven, damaging the vehicle. Meanwhile, a marten damaged the insulation and electrical wiring in the engine compartment of a passenger car. In all cases, the owners received insurance indemnity of up to €500," reveals Ivo Danče.

A cabinet falls on your head at night, and a wild boar attacks you while hunting

Accident insurance has also been filled with bizarre events. Medical assistance was needed for a person who was hit on the head by a cabinet above his bed during the night, causing a fairly severe head injury. The victim stated that the previous day, neighbours had been doing repairs using a jackhammer, the vibrations from which most likely caused the cabinets on the wall to loosen.

This year, a hunter had a particularly bad experience when he was attacked by a wild boar while hunting and injured his hand with a tusk, breaking his wrist and forearm. After the injury, the man spent five days in the hospital and required medication. In another case, a hand injury was sustained while cutting meat and severing part of a finger. In yet another case, a finger was broken when the person swept debris off the mattress with their palm and hit their hand hard against a chair placed nearby.

"There is a saying that 'misfortune never comes alone' – our experience shows that it most often brings unexpected expenses, which, if you do not have adequate insurance, you must cover from personal funds. Moreover, it concerns not only about major accidents, but also everyday situations that result in injuries and expenses. For example, this year, a man fell out of bed and severely injured his chest and shoulder, requiring emergency medical attention. Other injuries and broken ribs were sustained when falling from a chair while dismantling a string of lights. In addition, while unsuccessfully manoeuvring a shovel, a person hit himself in the eye by the shovel handle, causing its injury. In all cases, insurance indemnity was paid to cover medical expenses ranging from €60 to approximately €300," says Ivo Danče.