Personal injury solicitors news
05/07/2007
Holiday insurance cover warning
According to medical research, the number of holiday accidents resulting from adventure sports is on the up and this may lead to a sudden demand for the representation of personal injury solicitors this summer.
Around one million people suffered personal injury while on activity holidays over the past five years and approximately 200,000 Brits are likely to need medical treatment after taking part in activities such as water sports this summer. Churchill Insurance have estimated that jet skis cause the most casualties and falls from banana boat rides are almost as frequent.
Yet in news that shows many have a serious lack of regard for these statistics, Insurer Axa was informed by nearly two million thrill-seeking travellers that they were not planning to take out holiday insurance. Surely this is a grave mistake, as many insurance providers will not pay out for holiday claims unless an activity is organised by a tour operator or extra cover, like winter sports insurance, is taken out.
Many risk taking out standard policies that exclude water sports such as jet skiing and paragliding. A travel insurance manager at Axa said the following, "They think nothing will happen to them. This is true in the majority of cases, but for the sake of rare occasions when things do go wrong it makes sense to pay the few extra pounds it costs to take out travel insurance for peace of mind."
This is an obvious risk if holidaying outside Europe as it can cost as much as £8,000 just to treat a broken leg in the US.
But travellers shouldn't become complacent about medical insurance if they are holidaying closer to home and are relying on their European Health Insurance Card (formally the E111). What many tourists do not realise is that even with a European Health Insurance Card it could cost as much as £1,300 for a doctor to accompany them home on a chartered flight from the Canary Islands and the price of an air ambulance could reach £16,000.
It is unclear what drives tourists to cut such corners when holiday accidents are such apparent risks. When it is considered that that taking out sports cover with Endsleigh for a family of four will only increase a regular holiday insurance premium by as little as £22.24, it seems foolish not to bother.
Research suggests that 18-24 year olds are most at risk of holiday accidents. However, many over-65s may also seek the expertise of personal injury solicitors to make compensation claims as figures reveal that one in five over-65s are planning adventurous trips in the coming year.
