Insurance companies need to be flexible and develop tailored policies to suit a wide range of industries.

Engineering insurance, for example, needs to be a more comprehensive set of policies that protect not only from injury, damage and losses caused by equipment failure, but also professional liability for designers to ensure they are covered in case something goes wrong.

Whilst there are some insurance claims that are more common than others, in some cases there are real insurance claims that would be seen as too bizarre to include in a film and yet ultimately were paid out.

Here are some of the oddest.

Just Desserts

It goes without saying that custard and electronics do not mix, and one particular claimant found out the hard way when her phone dropped out of her hand and became sunk into the viscous yellow liquid.

When she finally fished it out, the phone shockingly refused to turn back on, forcing her to make a claim for a replacement.

Mo-Bovine

In another mobile phone related claim, a Devon farmer helped one of his pregnant cows during labour, but after the calf was born was struggling to find his expensive smartphone.

It turned out to be in the new mother herself, and the insurance company, presumably not wanting to ask any more invasive questions about the misplaced device, paid the claim in full.

Lather, Rinse And Refuel

Car insurance claims involving the fuel tank are surprisingly common, particularly if they have a diesel car and accidentally refuel with unleaded. It can cause major damage to the car, from causing parts to seize up and for vital engine components to corrode away.

However, one unlucky driver had it even worse when she accidentally poured a bottle of shampoo into the tank, which naturally necessitated a claim with her presumably baffled provider.