{"id":860333,"date":"2026-08-19T03:08:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T03:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/860333\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T03:08:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T03:08:10","slug":"the-everyday-household-accidents-most-insured-aussies-never-claim-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/860333\/","title":{"rendered":"The everyday household accidents most insured Aussies never claim for"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" class=\"styles__StyledImage-sc-17n6uwl-1 hlcJVa size-full wp-post-1155994 wp-image-1155990\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1155990\" data-capiid=\"b5c6da209442ffac31b3e9a0b781f01d\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns=&quot;http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg&quot; viewBox=&quot;0 0 1280 720&quot;%3E%3C\/svg%3E\"  alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1155990\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">He may look innocent but nothing is safe around my six month old border collie pup<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">From pet damage to broken screens and holes in the wall \u2013 more than half of insured Australians would rather pay out of pocket than claim on the policy they\u2019re already paying for.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Comparison website Compare the Market surveyed over 1000 Aussies to uncover the most common types of accidental damage and how much repairs cost households across the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Queensland had the highest average claim cost and coverage at $3405 \u2014 $448 more than the national average.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">But the state least likely to lodge a claim was Western Australia, where 61 per cent of respondents said they didn\u2019t bother.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"styles__StyledImage-sc-17n6uwl-1 hlcJVa size-full wp-post-1155994 wp-image-1155983\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1155983\" data-capiid=\"aeb75ef5ea148f17ec36f48de8efb733\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns=&quot;http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg&quot; viewBox=&quot;0 0 1280 720&quot;%3E%3C\/svg%3E\"  alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1155983\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Compare the Market<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Victorian policyholders (56%) were the second least likely to lodge a claim, followed by Queensland (55%), South Australia (54% and NSW (49%).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">But for those who did claim \u2013 37 per cent nationally \u2013 18 per cent were fully covered for accidental damages, 15 per cent were partly covered and 4 per cent were not covered at all.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Nine per cent of respondents admitted to having no insurance at all. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Nationally, the most common claims were for spills\/stains on carpets\/rugs (38%), peeling\/chipped paint (38%), water damage (28%), a broken tablet\/phone\/laptop (25%) or a hole in the wall (23%).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Pet-related damage accounted for 17 per cent of claims nationally.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"styles__StyledImage-sc-17n6uwl-1 hlcJVa size-full wp-post-1155994 wp-image-1155984\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1155984\" data-capiid=\"02d13978b937269a738743b6fa44d601\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns=&quot;http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg&quot; viewBox=&quot;0 0 1280 720&quot;%3E%3C\/svg%3E\"  alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1155984\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Loving dubbed Sharknado, nothing is safe from my 6 months old border collie, not even furniture<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">And after drilling down further into the survey results, the research also revealed that the types of accidental damage claims als varied by age group.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most common claim for those aged 18 to 24 years was for a broken tablet, phone or laptop (41%), followed by peeling\/chipped paint (33%) and broken furniture or a hole in the wall (30%).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.realestate.com.au\/news\/city-parking-in-sydney-and-brisbane-now-costs-more-per-hour-than-minimum-wage\/?campaignType=external&amp;campaignChannel=syndication&amp;campaignName=ncacont&amp;campaignContent=&amp;campaignSource=the_courier_mail&amp;campaignPlacement=realestatemodule\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MORE: Crazy cost to park in Aussie cities revealed<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.realestate.com.au\/news\/auction-clearance-rates-rise-again-after-low-not-seen-since-covid\/?campaignType=external&amp;campaignChannel=syndication&amp;campaignName=ncacont&amp;campaignContent=&amp;campaignSource=the_courier_mail&amp;campaignPlacement=realestatemodule\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Home auction market bounces back after Covid-level low<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.realestate.com.au\/news\/auction-clearance-rates-rise-again-after-low-not-seen-since-covid\/?campaignType=external&amp;campaignChannel=syndication&amp;campaignName=ncacont&amp;campaignContent=&amp;campaignSource=the_courier_mail&amp;campaignPlacement=realestatemodule\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.realestate.com.au\/news\/brutal-reality-ultralow-569pc-rates-floor-slammed-shut\/?campaignType=external&amp;campaignChannel=syndication&amp;campaignName=ncacont&amp;campaignContent=&amp;campaignSource=the_courier_mail&amp;campaignPlacement=article\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u2018Risk\u2019: Aus banks make brutal overnight move<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img class=\"styles__StyledImage-sc-17n6uwl-1 hlcJVa size-full wp-post-1155994 wp-image-1155985\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1155985\" data-capiid=\"d12f4df72337f1ed89c8ff115f2c4ed5\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns=&quot;http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg&quot; viewBox=&quot;0 0 1280 720&quot;%3E%3C\/svg%3E\"  alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1155985\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Broken devices were the top claim for those aged 18-24<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">For those aged 25-34 years, who were also most likely renters, the most common claim was for peeling\/chipped paint (39%), broken furniture, spills\/stains on carpets and appliance damage (32%).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">For those aged 35 to 44 years, peeling\/chipped paint (47%) topped the list, followed by claims for a carpet stains\/spills (36%) and a broken tablet, phone or laptop (32%).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">The most common claims for those aged 45 to 54 years were peeling\/chipped paint (41%), spills\/stains (39%) water damage and broken tablet, phone or laptop (30%).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Those aged 55 to 64 years claimed most for spills\/stains (40%), peeling\/chipped paint (37%) and water damage (25%), while policyholders aged 65 years and over claimed for spills\/stains (48%), water damage (32%) and peeling\/chipped paint (31%).<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"styles__StyledImage-sc-17n6uwl-1 hlcJVa size-full wp-post-1155994 wp-image-1155986\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1155986\" data-capiid=\"754550d0e0941711f77badce29829972\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns=&quot;http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg&quot; viewBox=&quot;0 0 1280 720&quot;%3E%3C\/svg%3E\"  alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1155986\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Compare the Market<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Compare the Market chief executive of general insurance Adrian Taylor said that \u201cmost household \u2018oops\u2019 moments aren\u2019t dramatic disasters, they\u2019re the everyday spills, smashed screens and bumps that can quietly stack up to thousands in repair bills\u201d. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">\u201cWhat can catch many people off guard is that accidental damage isn\u2019t always covered the way they assume in their insurance policy, and some only discover limits or exclusions once they try to claim after a minor accident like spilling some wine or chipping some paint,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">\u201cAccidental damage is generally offered as an optional extra and typically covers mishaps like dropping your TV, red wine spills, and glass door breakage. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">\u201cThings like general wear and tear, malicious damage and faulty workmanship are typical exclusions from accidental damage cover.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><img class=\"styles__StyledImage-sc-17n6uwl-1 hlcJVa size-full wp-post-1155994 wp-image-1155988\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1155988\" data-capiid=\"a9614eaca2726fe024a906d0cc2f31ff\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns=&quot;http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg&quot; viewBox=&quot;0 0 1280 720&quot;%3E%3C\/svg%3E\"  alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1155988\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Those aged 55 to 64 years claimed most for spills\/stains (40%)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">South Australian policyholders were the most likely to be caught off-guard, with 10 per cent of those who did make a claim knocked back.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">And according to the survey, 9 per cent of respondents had no insurance at all, with that number climbing to 10 per cent in NSW and Victoria. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"He may look innocent but nothing is safe around my six month old border collie pup From pet&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":860334,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[64,63,99],"class_list":["post-860333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/860333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=860333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/860333\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/860334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=860333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=860333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=860333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}