Holiday Cancellation - Wife broken her arm

dmdrabble

I posted this on the Insurance section and think I should have put it here.


Hello,

My wife tripped on the train station platform and broke her elbow on Wednesday, 9 days before our holiday. She has a pot on her right arm from the wrist up to her elbow.
We are due to fly out to India on Friday 21st February for a beach holiday in Kerala.
The flights are with Emirates and obviously are long haul. I have paid a cash deposit for a hotel and have travel visas.

Cost outlay at the moment is approx £1300.
The flights with emirates were paid for by debit card, the visas by Mastercard and the deposit for the hotel by cash transfer. They were booked independently and not through a travel agent.

We do have anual travel insurance in place.

I have a few questions before we make a decision or circumstances make the decision for us.

If we cancel, will the insurance cover us for our full losses or is a broken arm not considered reason not to go on holiday. We called them and they were a little vague about what we were covered for. They wouldn't commit to whether or not our visa costs would be covered for instance. Total Visa cost just short of £100 each. These were for visa, photos and other add on charges made by the Indian High Commission.


If she is advised not to travel by the doctors on Weds or if the break hasn't healed as planned and she has surgery, then we won't have a choice on whether or not to go.

Do airlines let you travel with a pot on? I have read somewhere that you can't fly within 48 hrs of having a pot put on. My wife is due back at A+E on Weds, 2 days before departure and will have another pot put on.

My questions are as follows:

1. If declared fit to travel by the Doctors and she is allowed to fly with the pot on, can we still choose not to go and be able to claim through the insurance? It is very hot in India and a pot from wrist to shoulder will be very uncomfortable both on the flight and at resort. She will not be able to swim and enjoy the holiday fully. She is right handed and the right elbow is broken.

2. If we decide to go and there are complications on the flight or at the resort and she needs medical attention will she be covered? She has the problem before travel and we have already talked to them about this.

3.Will our Visa cost be covered by the insurance?

4. Do I have to make steps now to try to cancel or should I wait until Wednesday?

I don't know whether we will be going or not. My wife says she would still like to go, but I don't think it is a good idea. I don't want to take a risk with my wife's health, but I don't want to lose money I have saved up and miss the holiday.

Thanks DMD.

duchy

Yes you are right airlines won't let you travel with a fresh plaster but are fine with one a few days old (all to do with the arm swelling in flight ) that said she may not need a full cast -talk to the hospital about the options.

If the doctor says she is fit to travel and you opt to cancel you won't have an insurable reason to cancel (although a lot of doctors will be "helpful" about including discomfort when looking at fitness to travel).

In your situation I'd speak direct to the airline about their specific rules re plaster casts (some vary)-and if it is 48 hours try and move the appointment to take her out of the 48 hours window so if the hospital don't replaster for any reason and use another acceptable form of support you aren't left without an insurable reason.

richardw

You can get a good cover that would allow her to swim.

Pollycat

It's really refreshing to read a post where travel insurance is in place and the OP has thought about all possible options and questions.

I think the insurance company should really be answering most of the questions posed by the OP.

Surely they know if the policy he's taken out covers visa costs?
And should be able to advise if they are covered if she needs medical help during the journey or in resort?

OP - does the policy mention any of the above?

I hope you get this sorted out.

Dumyat

As you say what if she needed care abroad as a result of this injury, how would the insurance company view this. She's now got a pre-existing condition.

I'd be concerned about what kind of medical facilities are in the resort.

Given that she is still getting treatment, I don't think there would be any issue about declaring her medically unfit to travel.

getmore4less

Review the costs for reschedule,

if these are reasonable the insurance might cover those and if healed then health cover become less of an issue for them.

claire16c

If you don't want to go, just call your insurance and advise them you don't think you can go due to illness and they will probably send a form for your dr to complete where they will say your wife is not fit to travel.

I did this last year and my dr wasn't trying to persuade me to go! he just completed the form as I asked & charged me £25

I'd get your money back and go another time when you can enjoy it more without the hassle of a plaster cast.

paddyrg

Good news - medical treatment is a lot cheaper in India than some countries (I'm looking at you, USA), downside is that you have to pick your hospital carefully. Research which is the best local hospital before you go, and if for any reason you do need to get seen, ask the hotel to get you taken there. For things like a broken arm, though, you don't need particularly high tech, you can get an x-ray and keep it in plaster - the body itself does the healing.

She will not be comfortable wherever she goes, but a bit of sun and relaxation will go along way to helping her recover. If there are open wounds under/caused by the cast, be particularly aware international standards of pool maintenance may not be as clean, similarly take care with shower water. If her body is working hard to fix a broken bone, it may be more vulnerable to infections/bugs.

victor2

Good news that you have insurance. They would be fools not to cover you. You have told them about the accident, it wasn't a pre-existing condition when you took the policy out, so they would have to accept it if they refuse to pay out and say you can still go. Any complications that arise while on holiday should therefore be covered.
I doubt if the visa cost would be covered as the visas will presumably still be valid for a postponed trip.
Check with the airline, but more importantly get back to the insurers and insist on an immediate response, backed up in writing, on their position.

Obviously_the_best

dmdrabble, who actually are your insurers, and what's the policy you've taken out? Most important details.

mgdavid

Also note '...wife still wants to go' - cancel at your peril !