The Top 11 Most Bizarre Ways to Die

From hoarding to a serious mathematical miscalculation, Life Quotes, Inc. reports the strangest instances of death...and how life insurance can protect your loved ones from the unexpected

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Life Quotes, Inc.

Apr 18, 2011, 05:30 ET

DARIEN, Ill., April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Quotes, Inc. has compiled a list of the top 11 most bizarre ways to die, featuring the Grim Reaper in the form of overconfidence, obsession, and simple dumb luck. After combing through encyclopedias, old newspaper clippings and wire stories, various Internet sites, and even an essay by a former congressman, Life Quotes, Inc. once again proves that the only way to truly protect yourself and your family from misfortune is with life insurance.

The following is a short list of some of the most unfortunate and most memorable causes of death:

Crash Course

A lawyer in Toronto runs at full speed into the window of his office 24 stories up…. And learns that the glass was not as secure as he originally thought.

In an attempt to prove to his partners at his Toronto law firm that the glass in the Toronto-Dominion Center was unbreakable, lawyer Garry Hoy threw himself through a glass wall on the 24th story floor in 1993. He was proven wrong, the glass shattered and he fell to his death.

Hoarder Horror

A hoarder traps himself and his brother under his own rubble and his own homemade burglar system.

Perhaps the most famous hoarder of all times, Langley Collyer, died in his own squalor. He lived with his blind and paralyzed brother Homer in a three-story mansion in New York, which was filled floor to ceiling with junk and was booby-trapped to send debris showering down on any unsuspecting intruder.

In 1947, the police found both brothers' bodies under the piles of rubble. Homer had starved to death and Langley suffocated at the hand of his own surefire booby trap.

Not on His Game

The next time your boyfriend or husband spends an entire day playing on his gaming system, remind him that excessive gaming can kill him.

A 28-year-old South Korean man, Lee Seung Seop, collapsed and died after playing the online game Starcraft at an Internet cafe for 50 hours with few breaks. Authorities presumed he died from heart failure stemming from exhaustion. No word on whether he was winning the game.

It Just Doesn't Add Up

A Swiss mathematician dies due to an imprecise miscalculation...

His peers described Johann Underwald, a Swiss mathematician, as the next Albert Einstein... Ironically though, it was a mathematical error that led to his death in October 1999. Underwald made a 250-foot bungee jump with a 300-foot bungee cord and died instantly on impact.

For a full list of "Top 11 Most Bizarre Ways to Die" go to

http://www.lifequotes.com/articles/death-taxes-and-life-insurance-top-11-most-bizarre-ways-to-die/

Finding the True Cause of Death

These stories may seem morbid and strange, but there is some good news: According to Whit Cornman, spokesperson for American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), life insurance policies have no exclusions regarding a bizarre death, though there may be a waiting period for the company to investigate possible fraud. After all, death by gaming could be hard to fathom.

"Some policies may have accidental death and dismemberment riders that will pay an additional benefit above and beyond the basic coverage in the case of an accidental death. However, there are exclusions to AD&D policies that may apply if a person dies as a result of putting him or herself in a dangerous situation. These exclusions are typically spelled out in the contract," Cornman said.

About Life Quotes, Inc.

Originally founded in 1984, Life Quotes, Inc. owns and operates a comprehensive consumer information service and companion insurance brokerage service that caters to the needs of self-directed insurance shoppers. Visitors to the Company's website, www.lifequotes.com, are able to obtain instant car, life, health, home and business insurance quotes, and have the freedom to buy online or by phone from any company shown. Life Quotes, Inc. generates revenues from receipt of industry-standard commissions, including back-end bonus commissions and volume-based contingent bonus commissions that are paid by participating insurance companies. We also generate revenues from the sale of website traffic and insurance leads to various third parties.

SOURCE Life Quotes, Inc.