Famous Peoples Body Parts Insured For Thousands...even Millions Sparks....

[Homicidalheathen]

Keith Richards finger, insured for 1.6 Million.

J.Lo's butt.....can't remember....I think it was waaaay up there.

Heidi Klums legs......2.2 million.

Dolly's tits.....300,000 EACH. Now them is some fancy titties ma.

America Ferrera (ugly Betty) 10 million dollar smile.

Now see this:

And it's not just celebrities who are jumping on the insurance bandwagon

Sat 13 May 2006

KATE HUGHES

HOW many of us would love the lifestyles of the rich and famous? The beautiful places and people, the parties, the travel and, of course, the abstract insurance policies.

OK, so perhaps insurance is not the first thing that springs to mind. But, with more of us following in those well-heeled footsteps as our lifestyles and leisure activities become increasingly adventurous, costly and risky, so do the weird and wonderful specialist protection policies to accommodate our daring attitude.

So, is this truly a new-found need to insure the nation's chest hair, or are we observing one of the symptoms of a climate of fear following recent world events?

The rule is, if there is a financial risk, you can get insurance for almost anything, from wedding insurance and pet insurance - with or without "clubcard" points - to protection for legs, taste buds, and even the aforementioned follicles.

As modern lifestyles diversify, the providers' line is that insurers are running to keep up. But it is not just the glitterati that take out those famous body parts policies.

Forget Beckham's right foot and Jennifer Lopez's rear end, surgeons, chefs, distillers and musicians are increasingly likely to protect themselves from the loss or failure of specific body parts - from voices and palettes to noses and fingers.

Are you a landlord with a particularly attractive bartender? Why not insure yourself, as one publican has recently done, against loss of earnings should anything happen to his or her "assets"?

In January this year, a public liability product was launched specifically for Greek hairdressers. And last year Lloyd's did indeed design a policy to protect an individual's chest hair, though curiously the small print specifically rules that fire-eaters should not apply. Jonathan Thomas, from Creechurch, the Lloyd's of London brokers, attributes the rise in such unique policies to the informed consumer.

"People buy insurance because they perceive they are at risk. The more adventurous lifestyle and the affordability of doing more dangerous pursuits both have implications," he explains.

"Thinking people tend to have the means to purchase experiences that take them further away from their normal everyday life. If they are that type of person with those means, they are likely to also think about what happens if something goes wrong. The availability of risk is greater."

Thomas said that the growth of the information culture and the ability to find out what is available through the internet means people are more aware of what is available.

"They are becoming more aware because they are registering the potential for their own personal health being compromised without having anything to fall back on."

But exotic insurance policies are not a new phenomenon. In the early part of the 20th century, cinema-goers could insure themselves against laughing to death as a result of watching a film.

In 1933, following many alleged sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, one funfair owner offered to pay £20,000 to anyone who captured and delivered the monster to him alive, promptly insured himself against that outcome. By 1974 a remarkably similar product was bought by Cutty Sark Whisky for a cool £1 million.

And let us not forget the 40 members of the "Whiskers Club" who each insured their beards for £20 against fire, and, would you believe it, theft.

If the eccentric precedent stretches into history, what is behind the recent surge in interest?

Are we witness to an increase of American influence in our insurance decision-making - from absorbing a climate of fear to imitating a lawsuit culture that is increasingly producing a protection culture?

Duncan Philp, a senior consultant for Dunfermline-based financial advisor Macbeth Currie, believes the rise in popularity of unusual insurance policies is indeed down international relationships.

"There is no doubt that the UK consumer is influenced by American cultural trends. The lawsuit and subsequent insurance climate is no exception," he says.

"But there is also the American climate of fear that British consumers seem to have acquired. Although acts of terrorism on American soil felt a long way from here, when London was attacked last July, people were faced with the possibility of personal injury - a message that was reinforced when the victims of those events struggled to get help from the government."

Regardless of the whys and wherefores of the curious insurance trend, figures suggest we should not get carried away with protecting the man rug just yet. It seems there may be very real warnings being sounded from the more fundamental side of the insurance industry.

A recent study commissioned by MoneyExpert.com the online financial comparison service, suggests that insurance customers are seeing their claims fall short by up to £1.2 billion a year. Last year, almost 450,000 home and motor insurance customers saw shortfalls of more than £1,000 between the amount claimed and the eventual payout.

"Many people focus purely on the price of their insurance when they buy," says director Tim Berry. "That can be a false economy if the policy does not pay out when they need it.

"Taking some time to establish the level of cover you need as well as exactly what you are covered for and what you are not covered for is a worthwhile investment," he advises. "We urge customers to look as carefully at the quality of the cover on offer as well as the price."

[Troy Spiral (13)]

I remember when i was a teenager hearing about various actresses having their legs insured. Its a fairly common practice. If your livelihood depends on your looks, or your ability to use a specific part of your body, and you make shit-loads of cash off it, people have often insured things.

Its not new, its just something we dont typcially think about. In ancient rome they'd insure almost anything.

Insurance is a more complicated version of gamblers "hedging their bets".

[Homicidalheathen]

Could you just see someone sneaking in and cutting off some guys beard though? Theft? Are they serious?