Diving accident: British backpacker is stuck in a hospital in Thailand unless she raises £60,000 to fly home

[ginjag]

1 hour ago, Prissana Pescud said:

Yeah, insure and go suck. This needs to be followed up. There will be a parent company and they need to be held accountable.

60,000 quid seems over the top and seems another scam.

Flights to the UK just under 30,000 baht, Thai maybe 60,000 up.    Expose the Insurance company, Thai and UK press please.

[sanemax]

It is rather wreckless and stupid to dive head first into a swimming pool , not being aware of how deep the swimming pool was .

  Why couldnt she she the bottom of the pool and why didnt her arms break the impact , cushion the blow ? 

[AGareth2]

3 minutes ago, sanemax said:

It is rather wreckless and stupid to dive head first into a swimming pool , not being aware of how deep the swimming pool was .

  Why couldnt she she the bottom of the pool and why didnt her arms break the impact , cushion the blow ? 

maybe we are not getting the full story

[BritManToo]

37 minutes ago, smutcakes said:

Did you read the article? The 60K GBP includes the transport back to the UK, with medical assistance. I am sure she would not be able to simply buy an economy seat, she would possibly need a team of medical staff with her, her parents etc- that would not be cheap.

Pal of mine recently medically repatriated from Greece to the UK, no insurance, cost him 7,000 pounds.

[madmen]

Yeah, insure and go suck. This needs to be followed up. There will be a parent company and they need to be held accountable.
60,000 quid seems over the top and seems another scam.

For a spinal cord injury?

[alanrchase]

While I agree insurance companies can't be trusted there is no information on how she dived into the pool. Did she dive from the edge/diving board or was it from some structure next to the pool? If it was a structure not built for the purpose of diving I would be inclined to agree with the insurance company.

[Peterw42]

9 minutes ago, ginjag said:

Flights to the UK just under 30,000 baht, Thai maybe 60,000 up.    Expose the Insurance company, Thai and UK press please.

Medical evacuation flights can cost $100,000 dollars, a specially equipped plane with a doctor, nurse etc. Its not like you just grab a cheap fare for seat 37C, with a broken neck.

[smutcakes]

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Pal of mine recently medically repatriated from Greece to the UK, no insurance, cost him 7,000 pounds.

Good for him, did he have medical assistants, 5 or 6 people? Did he have a spinal cord injury?

[ezzra]

Me think the insurance policy have to be scrutinized with a legal eye and see on what reason or clause the claim was rejected, and even take the case to a TV current affair programing and involve the UK consumer protection board assuming of course that the accident did happened like she said it was...

[baz69er]

2 hours ago, flipperphillips said:

I have just read the insurance company involved is called, Insure & go.

I used to use this company until they put there prices up, I certainly won't ever use them again....

 

2 hours ago, flipperphillips said:

I have just read the insurance company involved is called, Insure & go.

 

[outsider]

I'm not familiar with the healthcare industry, so I'm just curious, if this is normal: "But the hospital would not perform surgery until Sophie’s family had guaranteed payment." or is it just Thailand? I thought all doctors - whether in public or private practice - have taken something like a 'vow' to save lives at all costs, or something to that effect? What if the girl's parents couldn't come up with the guarantee - the hospital is just going to watch the girl die?

[wgdanson]

1 hour ago, Hoppyone said:

Imagine you were crossing a road looked to left but not the right and get hit by car coming down wrong side of road,I guess the old faithful insurance company would classified it as a reckless act as well,aah another reason not to pay out on a premium taken out in good faith 

Green Cross Code...look right, then left, then right again.

[madmen]

1- Were there warning signs that the pool was undeep? Like "Don't dive" in english??
2- Was she drunk?
3- I've never heard of different travelinsurances (except for dangerous sports), makes me wonder which one i have.
4- 60.000 is an awfull lot of money for a thai hospital, did she go to Bungumrad or so?
5- If the flight is so expensive can't she stay here longer or go by ship?
6- Has she never leared to make a flat dive if you're not sure how deep the pool is? Myself i always jump when i'm not sure.
 
But i remain to my conclusion that the insurance is at fault, travelinsurances are for cases like this..if this story gets big in the papers other travellers will realise that they might need a more expensive insurance or pay the flight back themselves...

Go by ship?

I actually find it nearly impossible to believe that you wrote that.

[lensta]

1 hour ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Are there any companies offering travel insurance which includes diving in their regular package?  I have never seen it not listed as an exception that is not covered, its just too dangerous, the fact that it happened in a pool will not make any difference to them, had she not been training to dive it would have done, but with scuba gear on they wont pay, standard practice, so no need to name as its all of them.

 

2 hours ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Are there any companies offering travel insurance which includes diving in their regular package?  I have never seen it not listed as an exception that is not covered, its just too dangerous, the fact that it happened in a pool will not make any difference to them, had she not been training to dive it would have done, but with scuba gear on they wont pay, standard practice, so no need to name as its all of them.

Ummm, where does it say she was scuba diving. I think you may have the wrong type of diving. Not really sure how you could break your neck scuba diving.

[madmen]

Flights to the UK just under 30,000 baht, Thai maybe 60,000 up.    Expose the Insurance company, Thai and UK press please.

She has a spinal cord injury!!! She is not going air asia or thai airlines or any airline

[salavan]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

People need to know which *Insurance firm this is who considers diving into a pool a reckless act...  yes, ok, she misjudged the depth, but thats exactly what insurance is for - cover for mistakes. 

 

It seems extremely strange that an insurance company could escape such a claim.

 

Edit: it seems its this company https://www.insureandgo.com

 

and lots of complaints of refusal to pay....https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1381601

 

 

 

 

It's a loss adjusters job to weasle out of paying a claim. so much for making visitors take out insurance

[4MyEgo]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

People need to know which *Insurance firm this is who considers diving into a pool a reckless act...  yes, ok, she misjudged the depth, but thats exactly what insurance is for - cover for mistakes. 

 

It seems extremely strange that an insurance company could escape such a claim.

 

Edit: it seems its this company https://www.insureandgo.com

 

and lots of complaints of refusal to pay....https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1381601

 

 

 

 

I have done my part by posting it on my Facebook page for all to read and share to others so as to avoid Insure & Go like a plague, hope she can walk again and takes this insurer to court when she returns. 

 

Would strongly recommend TVF members unite for this young lady and do the same, spread the word that Insure & Go should be avoided at all costs, post of Facebook and whatever other social media you have, it doesn't take long and hopefully will have an impact for the better.

Edited December 14, 2018 by 4MyEgo

[Sydebolle]

Name the insurance company with phone, fax and email ........... Just to make sure that they get sufficient mail and attention in the weeks to come. 

[samsensam]

8 minutes ago, salavan said:

It's a loss adjusters job to weasle out of paying a claim. so much for making visitors take out insurance

 

a generalised and inaccurate statement. my home was flooded, as a converted 300 year old property containing antique furniture and art the loss was considerable. the loss adjuster was on scene extremely quickly and was extremely professional in managing the claim. i received recompense in full, in fact i considered some of the payments more generous than they needed to be. no complaints.

[Wake Up]

Sometimes injury lawyers are needed. I hope she finds a good one and sues this travel insurance company in the UK. Diving into a pool is not a reckless act it is a mistake of judgment. She didn’t jump out of a plane. She dove into a pool after seeing others do it and bought travel insurance so make them pay. 

[thenoilif]

18 minutes ago, outsider said:

I'm not familiar with the healthcare industry, so I'm just curious, if this is normal: "But the hospital would not perform surgery until Sophie’s family had guaranteed payment." or is it just Thailand? I thought all doctors - whether in public or private practice - have taken something like a 'vow' to save lives at all costs, or something to that effect? What if the girl's parents couldn't come up with the guarantee - the hospital is just going to watch the girl die?

1

"to save lives at all costs" 

You actually think that there is a globalized universal health care system that provides the best of the best care for everyone on the planet? Come on you can't be that nieve. 

 

[4MyEgo]

2 minutes ago, samsensam said:

 

a generalised and inaccurate statement. my home was flooded, as a converted 300 year old property containing antique furniture and art the loss was considerable. the loss adjuster was on scene extremely quickly and was extremely professional in managing the claim. i received recompense in full, in fact i considered some of the payments more generous than they needed to be. no complaints.

This was travel insurance, totally different to house/contents insurance

[Easy Come Easy Go]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

People need to know which *Insurance firm this is who considers diving into a pool a reckless act...  yes, ok, she misjudged the depth, but thats exactly what insurance is for - cover for mistakes. 

 

It seems extremely strange that an insurance company could escape such a claim.

 

Edit: it seems its this company https://www.insureandgo.com

 

and lots of complaints of refusal to pay....https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1381601

 

 

 

 

no wonder many people don't take out insurance, half of them are full of shyt 

[BestB]

1 hour ago, Prissana Pescud said:

Yes, that will be of great comfort to the young lady as she lies in hospital, in a foreign country, having a debt of $135,000 and knowing the insurance company will protract the settlement until 2030. 

Who ever told you it takes 10 years ? Have you tried it? 

[Pedrogaz]

She should crowd fund to sue the insurance company. 

[grego49]

British based company with an email adress and a complaint section on their web site give em hell,,,

[Wake Up]

We all screw up and are not perfect. Sometimes the consequences are severe and so we buy insurance. Then the insurer refuses to pay.

 

Bless this young woman and her family. Going to be a hard life not being able to walk and being so young. None of us will have as bad of a day today as this lady and her family are experiencing. 

[spidermike007]

Insurance companies and banks are the modern day mafia. They will get away with anything that increases their bottom line. One must be very careful when making the selection, and it helps alot to study the forums and determine which companies are willing to pay out, when it comes time to do so. Some companies like BUPA have policies that are designed to underpay, in order to keep the premiums low. I would not touch them. Others just avoid paying altogether. Diving into a pool is not considered a risky activity! Just pure BS on the part of a gangster organization. 

[geoff65]

2 hours ago, Lungstib said:

Diving into a swimming pool now considered reckless? The insurance company needs to be suitably shamed and harassed.

 Not only reckless but no common as well, jumping or diving into pools or any other waters without known how deep or what dangers are there is just plain stupid and asking for trouble. I'm convinced common sense is dead and buried and of Course the insurance company won't pay they see it as self-inflicted, which it was, but don't worry good old GFP and peoples hard earnt money will pay for her stupidity.

[wolf81]

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Edited December 14, 2018 by wolf81
Mistakes were made