Travel & Holiday Accidents

Some Travel Accidents are unavoidable. While nobody plans on having an accident, if you go on an adventure sports holiday then it's certainly not unforeseeable that you could have an accident skiing down a slippery slope. Then there are everyday accidents that happen to Australians all over our own country, let alone when we are overseas. You need to take out travel insurance to cover the following no matter what type of holiday you plan on taking.

• Hospital Treatment
• Medical Evacuation

Hospital treatment and medical evacuations can run into the $100,000s and cripple a family financially.

“If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel overseas.” - Smarttraveller.gov.au

Here are two real-life examples of holiday travel accidents overseas involving young Australians. These are brought to you courtesy of the Australian Government run Smarttraveller.gov.au website.

• A young man worked in a US ski resort for four months, then took time off to travel around the US. He permitted his 12-month travel insurance policy to expire just a few days before his departure for home. He was hit by a car while crossing a road and suffered serious head injuries. He was admitted unconscious to intensive care and required highly intensive sophisticated care until he was able to be flown back to Australia. He was still unconscious and returned on a stretcher. The cost to the family for the medical evacuation alone was $80,000. They have taken out a second mortgage on their house to raise the funds.
• A young Australian surfer went to the United States for a surfing competition. Although an experienced surfer, he unfortunately chose the wrong wave during a practice session. The wave dumped him on a reef and he sustained serious injuries. He was flown to a local hospital and immediately underwent two major operations. The hospital bill was AUD$290, 000. Fortunately the young man's parents had insisted he take out travel insurance before he left Australia. The insurance company covered the bill, and the young man and his family were able to focus on his recovery.

None of us plan on having an accident. But they happen to all of us.

Travel insurance isn’t just for those of us heading off overseas on a holiday. There is no reason why you shouldn’t get holiday travel insurance if you are going to visit remote parts of Australia.

If you do take out holiday travel insurance please read your policy. Make sure that you know what you are covered for.

We have all done it. Bought something and the documentation goes in the back pocket or handbag and we don’t bother to look at it.  It is important to know what your holiday travel insurance covers you for.

• Will my travel insurance cover me if I have an accident overseas, get treatment and then return home from my holiday, only to find that I need more treatment?

The majority of Holiday Travel Insurance policies will only cover you until you return to Australia. Then you will need to lodge a claim through either Medicare or your own Private Health Cover.