Travel insurance and alcohol exclusion

ericonabike

I've just been reading the small print in my travel insurance prior to a trip in October. I noticed that one of the catch-all exclusions related to any incidents when the insured is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Seems rather harsh? On the face of it, a fall whilst tipsy would render your insurance invalid. Does anyone have experience of this exclusion actually being applied?

huckster

No personal experience. But there have been cases highlighted in the media. A while back someone fell off a balcony and their Travel Insurers refused a claim due to affects of alcohol. Also there have been other posts on this site, where people have had claims declined. In one of them, a middle age lady had a claim declined after hurting a leg, when she said that she had only had a few drinks.

It may be a good idea if travelling in Europe to have the EHIC as back up. But make sure you only use state health services, as that is all the EHIC allows for.

Suggest that you carefully select the Insurers you take out the policy with. Some are better than others. If you buy a cheap policy, it may be cheap for a reason.

InsideInsurance

What section is the alcohol and drugs policy against? I know an old policy I had did exclude these but it was basically only for missing your transport - ie if you got drunk and werent allowed on the plane you werent cover but other alcohol related accidents would be for medical expenses etc

ericonabike

It's Fortis Insurance, via my Alliance and Leicester [as was] account. Under the heading 'General exclusions that apply to all sections' the introduction reads:

'You are not covered for anything directly or indirectly caused by:

1...

2 your suicide, deliberately injuring yourself, being under the influence of drink or drugs,(unless prescribed by a doctor) alcoholism, drug addiction, solvent abuse, wilful exposure to exceptional risk (unless you are trying to save someone's life);' [my emphasis]

I'm curious as to whether this is standard wording or peculiar to my policy. If the latter I'll change, but I suspect it may be universal.

InsideInsurance

It is certainly common if not universal, some limit it to death or injury and some apply it to all sections - not sure that theft due to alcohol is going to be that common

ericonabike

I think I may have answered my own question - see
http://www.travelinsuranceguide.org.uk/blog/2008/04/beware-the-booze/

States that 'Research by moneysupermarket.com shows that not one insurance company will pay medical bills if alcohol (or for that matter drugs) was a contributory factor.'

It would appear that one is at the mercy of the insurance company here then. Don't get me wrong, I don't go abroad to get wasted every night. But I enjoy the [perfectly legal] experience of drinking - at home as well as abroad! Just that now I can see a legal battle over any incident that occurs unless I can prove that I was not 'under the influence of drink'.

huckster

I suspect that the claims that get declined are those where alcohol is noted as a factor. e.g. you go into a hospital or the local Police are involved and there is a specific note about levels of alcohol. I doubt that the Insurers ask the Hospital or Doctors practice for a blood sample showing alcohol levels before they agree whether to pay out or not. The Insurers may ask you when phoning the emergency helpline about your level of alcohol consumption and draw conclusions from that. So you would not tell them that you had half a litre of Vodka and Red Bull, followed by five pints of lager.