In 1940, an insurance agent sold an $800K policy on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and secretly pocketed the premium, believing the new bridge to be indestructible. The bridge collapsed spectacularly 4 months after opening, and the agent was jailed for fraud.
insurance
Modern fire departments were the creation…
Modern fire departments were the creation of insurance companies. Insurance companies hired private brigades to put out fires for their policy holders. Each insurance company had their own brigade and would extinguish the fires of their customers while leaving non-customer properties to burn.
MIT lawyers did not patent…
MIT lawyers did not patent turn-by-turn in-car navigation in 1989 because “This will never happen.. because the insurance companies won’t allow it”.
Over 50 of the largest life insurance companies…
Over 50 of the largest life insurance companies in the US are being sued for not paying claims on millions of policies. In many cases the insurers knew the client was deceased and continued collected premiums via policy loans which would cause them to lapse over time.
The Subaru WRX is among America’s most ticketed…
Subaru WRX is among America’s most ticketed cars. A study by Insurance.com found that one-third of WRX owners reported receiving a ticket recently.
Over 20,000 people have purchased Alien Abduction…
Over 20,000 people have purchased Alien Abduction Insurance.
Golfers in Japan purchase insurance at $ …
Golfers in Japan purchase insurance at $65/year for coverage of up to $3,000 in the event that they sink a hole-in-one, in which case tradition dictates that they must buy gifts and drinks for all their friends.
Apollo 11 Astronauts couldn’t get life …
Apollo 11 Astronauts couldn’t get life insurance prior to their launch so they gave themselves their own “life insurance policy made of autographs” that could be sold by their families if they did not return.
John Harrison, the official taste-tester …
John Harrison, the official taste-tester for Dreyer’s Ice Cream, insured his tongue for 1,000,000.
In 1974, a boy died after eating poisone …
In 1974, a boy died after eating poisoned Halloween candy. The culprit was his own father, who killed him for a $40,000 insurance policy.