Sports abroard, holiday insurance - check and then recheck again.

Murphy_The_Cat

My holiday insurance is very comprehensive and is quite definitive in the areas that it covers and just as importantly, doesn't cover.
As a careful traveller I checked and rechecked that one of my activities was in the "good column" and not the "bad column".

On our last full night on holiday we took part in the sporting activity, something went wrong and I sustained a serious (but not life altering/life threatening) injury.
We settled down to the reality of visiting a hospital in the US, before inevitable (& perhaps extensive) tests, possible admission, potential operation and obviously delayed flights back to the UK (not a Medevac!!). All in All, it would have added up to a mighty whack.

Before we set off to the hospital, I pulled out the policy and recheked the details then went to where we'd done the activities and rechecked the details with them -- at this point, I discovered the very real possibility/probability that any insurance claim may not be settled, due to the level of my activity being higher than specified on the policy - all down to definition and interpretation. (alternatively, it could have been met and all would have been good.

Long story short, I didn't chance a claim, self medicated myself and came home. My circumstance weren't "normal" and I was able to do this on my pre-booked flight. If it was a "normal" trip it would have cost a mighty wedge to get me back to the UK.

If you're going to do a sporting activity whilst abroad, check, check then recheck again that your insurance covers your activty. In particular, if your insurance companies definition doesn't align with the sports providers definition, run it by your insurance company and get confirmation that you're covered.

You learn something new every day, Lesson learnt etc, etc

p.s. I'm typing this from the A&E at hospital, as they work out how much damage I've done:(

michele-p

Oh No Murphy, hope you get seen very soon at A&E, well done for getting yourself home though.

I've just booked insurance for our holiday next week (we have free bank insurance in place too, so this is an extra policy), we will be in Norway, and I want to do a day skiing on the glacier. I'm so glad I called the company, as I was about to take out "winter sport" add on (weird in summer!), but as I mentioned it was a glacier they double checked, and sure enough this was a different add on, and winter sports would not have covered it. So yes, check, and double check your policy,

Murphy_The_Cat

michele-p wrote: »

I've just booked insurance for our holiday next week (we have free bank insurance in place too, so this is an extra policy), we will be in Norway, and I want to do a day skiing on the glacier. I'm so glad I called the company, as I was about to take out "winter sport" add on (weird in summer!), but as I mentioned it was a glacier they double checked, and sure enough this was a different add on, and winter sports would not have covered it. So yes, check, and double check your policy,

Hi Michele

Yes, that is an absolutely perfect example.

Neither of us are numpties who are travelling without Travel Insurance, but both would have been in a very dark place if we would have had to claim on a policy that would appear to have covered the sporting activity we were doing.

zagfles

I've done skydiving and paragliding on holiday - probably wouldn't have been covered by my travel insurance, but my logic was if I'm prepared to take a risk with my life I'm certainly prepared to take a risk of financial loss!

Hope you're OK and you didn't take a serious risk flying back without getting checked over.

PS what was the sport?

Murphy_The_Cat

zagfles wrote: »

I've done skydiving and paragliding on holiday - probably wouldn't have been covered by my travel insurance, but my logic was if I'm prepared to take a risk with my life I'm certainly prepared to take a risk of financial loss!

Hope you're OK and you didn't take a serious risk flying back without getting checked over.

PS what was the sport?

Self insurance is wonderful if you're prepared to do it and can afford it.

The jist of my post is about how a person could genuinely think they were insured for a sport, being caught out by a technicality/local definition/discrepancy - whereas you're talking about taking part in an activiy that you know that you're not insured for.

There was no serious risk to me flying home (if I couldn't have physically done it, I would have had to extend my stay in the US and delay my return, which wouldn't have been a nice experience for my credit card !
I'll know the extent of the damage tomorrow. Fingers crossed that its at the rest and recuperation end of the scale, rather than the totally wrecked end !

photome

I have done a few sporting activities in the USA on the understanding I wasnt covered, rather silly in hindsight, which is why I wouldnt do anything again...older and wiser.

what was the sport

Murphy_The_Cat

zagfles wrote: »

PS what was the sport?

photome wrote: »

what was the sport

It was White Water Rafting for beginners, aged 7 upwards on a river running slowly. My insurance covered me for Class 1 & Class 2 rapids.

After my incident, I went back to clarify what "Beginner" meant in relation to Class 1 & Class 2 and realised that things weren't as clear cut as I thought they were.

zagfles

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

It was White Water Rafting for beginners, aged 7 upwards on a river running slowly. My insurance covered me for Class 1 & Class 2 rapids.

After my incident, I went back to clarify what "Beginner" meant in relation to Class 1 & Class 2 and realised that things weren't as clear cut as I thought they were.

So as a beginner they put you on a Class 3 course??

Murphy_The_Cat

zagfles wrote: »

So as a beginner they put you on a Class 3 course??

No and thats where the problem lies.

The stretch of river that was used, when the water level is higher (earlier) in the season does have Class 3 sections - Class 3: Small waves, maybe a small drop, but no considerable danger. May require significant maneuvering. (Skill level: Some experience in rafting).

However, later in the season, when the water level is lower, they are down to Class 2 -Class 2: Some rough water, maybe some rocks, might require some maneuvering. (Skill level: Basic paddling skill).

Earlier in the season when the river is running faster and deeper, the put in point & exit point for the beginners group is several miles down stream, where the water is much easier.

But towards the end of the season, when the river is running lower and slower, they put in further upstream where it is classed as Class 1, or Class 2 - however, that portion of the river does have a Class 3 definition, for part of the season, or after heavy rainfall/snow melt.

Can you see what I mean about the problem of definition and the muddy/grey waters that would make an insurance company (potentially) tetchy ?

zagfles

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

No and thats where the problem lies.

The stretch of river that was used, when the water level is higher (earlier) in the season does have Class 3 sections - Class 3: Small waves, maybe a small drop, but no considerable danger. May require significant maneuvering. (Skill level: Some experience in rafting).

However, later in the season, when the water level is lower, they are down to Class 2 -Class 2: Some rough water, maybe some rocks, might require some maneuvering. (Skill level: Basic paddling skill).

Earlier in the season when the river is running faster and deeper, the put in point & exit point for the beginners group is several miles down stream, where the water is much easier.

But towards the end of the season, when the river is running lower and slower, they put in further upstream where it is classed as Class 1, or Class 2 - however, that portion of the river does have a Class 3 definition, for part of the season, or after heavy rainfall/snow melt.

Can you see what I mean about the problem of definition and the muddy/grey waters that would make an insurance company (potentially) tetchy ?

I don't really see the problem - as long as it wasn't Class 3 at the time you used it? And someone can confirm that.

Murphy_The_Cat

zagfles wrote: »

I don't really see the problem - as long as it wasn't Class 3 at the time you used it? And someone can confirm that.

Well if you are ever in the same situation, go for it !

With my own previous experience of insurance claims, anything that is a grey area can cause extensive delays, massive aggravations and potential "settlement adjustment" - none of which are pleasant things to deal with.
I wasn't prepared to risk/chance a hefty hospital bill, rearranged flight tickets and ancillary expenses when I had a ready made Plan B available to me.

Lesson learnt for me - I'll do quite a bit more digging in future before taking part in an activity.