Most Common Travel Insurance Claims
Travel insurance is something that sometimes gets forgotten about in the excitement of planning a holiday and jetting off. It’s one of those dull life-admin tasks that often gets shunned in favour of researching the best restaurants and planning day trips.
In fact, ensuring that you are fully insured is one of the most important parts of planning your travels. Did you know that 3,793 British people were hospitalised abroad in 2011? With 24% of people travelling abroad neglecting to organise insurance in the same year, there are bound to be lots of hefty medical bills to pay. Not forgetting about situations where your flight is cancelled, you lose your passport, or your luggage gets sent to a completely different location!
You might think that you don’t need insurance if you aren’t planning to partake in any risky activities – well, think again! You’ll be surprised at what are the most common claims when travelling. Read on to discover the most predominant travel insurance claims.
Lost Luggage
There’s nothing worse than being the last person standing at an empty carousel, wondering why your suitcase didn’t make it to your destination. We recommend planning ahead for this situation, and ensuring that you have all of your essentials and a change of clothes in your hand luggage, but if your bag is delayed or completely missing, you are going to have to put in a claim for it.
Medical Expenses
Imagine being in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and becoming ill or injured. This would be upsetting enough without having to worry about being presented with a gigantic medical bill at the end of your hospital stay. Bills can amount up to unimaginable amounts, with the cost of a three day hospital stay in America averaging at around $30,000.
Read more: Ever wondered why travel insurance claims are denied or how to void your travel insurance?
Cancelled or Delayed Flights
If you find yourself stranded in a different country due to a cancelled flight, or a delay causes you to miss another connection, chances are that you will have to cough up the money for a brand new flight – unless you are adequately insured.
Lost or Stolen Belongings
Whether you have been mugged and lost the entire contents of your handbag, or have simply misplaced your wallet, it is essential that you have travel insurance to replace the missing goods. Ensure that you take photographs or photocopies of all your documents prior to travelling and store them in a different place than the originals – this will help to speed up your claim if the worst does occur.
Why not check out some of the latest luggage tracking technology.
Whilst these claims are the most common, it is beyond no means an exhaustive list of the things that people claim for on travel insurance. Strange but true stories have included monkeys stealing cameras in Gibraltar, people being hit on the head by coconuts in Sri Lanka, and even a man who walked into a lamppost in Greece! Be prepared for any eventuality and ensure that you take out the very best travel insurance prior to travelling.
Emma Lavelle is a UK based writer and photographer and has her own blog Field and Nest.
