Holiday Insurance? Food for thought!
18 Jul 2012 14:44
Dont want to frighten folk but i will tell you about an event that happened to a good friend of mine last year.
He and his wife ( who works for a travel agenency) and a group of friends had booked to go on a mediterian criuse, but had to pick the boat up in Spain. So they flew out early to have a couple of days in Benidorm prior to catching the boat.
Unfortunatley for my mate he had been out to the local bars and had decided to stop and have a few more beers whilst the rest of the party returned to the hotel. At some point during the evening he slipped and fell backwards and hit his head against a kerb, and subsequently died from his injuries.
The so called insurance company then started to play silly buggers, because the post mortem showed that there was a significant amount of alcohol in his blood stream. YES he was on holiday, and unless you are tea-total i think most folk will have a drink whilst on holiday!!
The insurance company said the accident happened as a direct result of too much alcohol and therefore was self inflicked.
The whole event was eventually picked up by our local papers and press and after much harassing and petitions the insurance company helped towards the huge costs incurred by his wife. This happened well over a year ago and the family is still trying to recover expenses that they had to pay.
Dont want to spoil folks holidays and it wont spoil mine, cos if the big man upstairs calls your number i dont think there is much anyone can do to prevent it!!
He and his wife ( who works for a travel agenency) and a group of friends had booked to go on a mediterian criuse, but had to pick the boat up in Spain. So they flew out early to have a couple of days in Benidorm prior to catching the boat.
Unfortunatley for my mate he had been out to the local bars and had decided to stop and have a few more beers whilst the rest of the party returned to the hotel. At some point during the evening he slipped and fell backwards and hit his head against a kerb, and subsequently died from his injuries.
The so called insurance company then started to play silly buggers, because the post mortem showed that there was a significant amount of alcohol in his blood stream. YES he was on holiday, and unless you are tea-total i think most folk will have a drink whilst on holiday!!
The insurance company said the accident happened as a direct result of too much alcohol and therefore was self inflicked.
The whole event was eventually picked up by our local papers and press and after much harassing and petitions the insurance company helped towards the huge costs incurred by his wife. This happened well over a year ago and the family is still trying to recover expenses that they had to pay.
Dont want to spoil folks holidays and it wont spoil mine, cos if the big man upstairs calls your number i dont think there is much anyone can do to prevent it!!
Re: Holiday Insurance? Food for thought!
18 Jul 2012 15:19
Keith wrote:Dont want to spoil folks holidays and it wont spoil mine, cos if the big man upstairs calls your number i dont think there is much anyone can do to prevent it!!
Yeah but it's nice to think that your partner/family doesn't have the added pain of money issues and all the extra hassle. Like nearly all insurance companies, they generally try to wriggle out of paying and I don't think they have much of a conscience especially when it comes to bereavements
Re: Holiday Insurance? Food for thought!
18 Jul 2012 15:33
I might be a bit of an anorak, but since the whole ash cloud thing I always read what's not covered before buying any travel insurance - it does clearly state in all of them I've read that accidents and injuries are not covered when alcohol is involved. I have to agree though, there are not many folk that wouldn't have a drink when on holiday and so you have to wonder if any kind of travel insurance would be valid when claiming. It's a dreadful dreadful situation that I wouldn't wish upon anyone. These insurance companies have you over a barrel most of the time! I paid extra to have additional accidental damage cover on my contents insurance at home, I claimed on it when I knackered up my laptop after spilling a drink on it, the follow years quote was over 300% higher than I paid the previous year - because of the claim I'd paid extra to cover to start with! Seems all very wrong, and probably about time their practices were looked at in more detail - maybe that's a campaign for Martin Lewis!
Re: Holiday Insurance? Food for thought!
18 Jul 2012 17:40
I to have noticed many insurance policies now state under the influence of alcohol which in my mind is very vague, the policy I took out has this wording
Alcohol abuse
You drinking too much alcohol, or any form of alcohol abuse, where it is
reasonably foreseeable that such consumption could result in a serious
impairment of your facilities and/or judgement resulting in a claim. We do
not expect you to avoid alcohol on your trips or holidays but we will not
cover any claims arising because you have drunk so much alcohol that your
judgement is seriously affected and you need to make a claim as a result.
Alcohol abuse
You drinking too much alcohol, or any form of alcohol abuse, where it is
reasonably foreseeable that such consumption could result in a serious
impairment of your facilities and/or judgement resulting in a claim. We do
not expect you to avoid alcohol on your trips or holidays but we will not
cover any claims arising because you have drunk so much alcohol that your
judgement is seriously affected and you need to make a claim as a result.