Dinner party accidents give rise to increase in home insurance claims

There has been a rise in the number of home insurance claims due to accidents resulting from dinner parties .

Swinton believes the popularity of TV shows such as Channel 4’s Come Dine with Me could be a contributing factor to the sharp increase in claims. An online survey of 1,200 customers revealed that in the last six months, 67 per cent of homeowners had hosted a dinner party which had lead to an accident in the home .

Of those polled, 28 per cent had made a claim for damage to furnishings and electrical equipment caused by dinner guests. The most common accident during a dinner party was red wine spilt on the carpet . Other common accidents identified by homeowners included spilling food on the carpet, breaking electrical items, cigarette burns in the carpet or sofa and scratching the dining room table.

Steve Chelton, insurance development manager at Swinton, said: “The majority of people have contents insurance for their homes but they should still be extra vigilant when holding dinner parties, especially when alcohol is concerned.”

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