Mum's 'relief' as £60k raised to bring injured daughter home from Thailand after horrific accident

By Alan Thompson

 

£60k has been raised to bring Sophie Wilson (right) home from Thailand. Her parents (left) have shared their thanks

 

The mum of a backpacker left unable to walk after an horrific accident in Thailand has shared her relief that enough funds have been raised to bring her daughter home.

 

Her reaction to the “absolutely amazing” news comes as the £60,000 target needed to bring seriously injured Sophie Wilson home has been raised.

 

In just six days, well wishers from around the world, touched by the plight of the 24-year-old have rallied to raise a target-busting £62,675 on a crowdfunding page.

 

Sophie, of Shepshed, near Loughborough, was one week into a six-month backpacking tour of Asia after packing up her coffee shop manager’s job to fulfil a lifetime dream.

 

Full Story: https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/mums-relief-60k-raised-bring-2339275

Happy to hear that she is recovering and OK to go home, but of course, if her shyster insurance company hadn't been such a bunch of dogs, the fundraiser would not have been necessary. People dive into pools all day long without drama, so to suggest her doing so was "reckless" is just mean. I hope other tourists take note and put these bandits out of business. I wouldn't insure my goldfish with them after this.

Good, I hope they follow up with a complaint to the ombudsman about the insurance company here.

 

Great news.

Unfortunately the Insurance Company will carry on merrily to scam another day. 

14 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Happy to hear that she is recovering and OK to go home, but of course, if her shyster insurance company hadn't been such a bunch of dogs, the fundraiser would not have been necessary. People dive into pools all day long without drama, so to suggest her doing so was "reckless" is just mean. I hope other tourists take note and put these bandits out of business. I wouldn't insure my goldfish with them after this.

You have goldfish? What sort?

6 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Great news.

Unfortunately the Insurance Company will carry on merrily to scam another day. 

Maybe, maybe not. The UK Ombudsman might have a say in the matter, though you have to say, this was ultimate stupidity by them. The opportunity was there for a real positive media story, in that Hey, you were a bit stupid, but you are in dire straits, so we will honour our policy. Instead it is global bad news for them, which will cost them a lot more than 60 grand. After all, insurance is quite competitive so why risk saving a fiver for a policy you know won't pay out, against one that might?

10 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

You have goldfish? What sort?

Must be bloody expensive ones 

11 minutes ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

Maybe, maybe not. The UK Ombudsman might have a say in the matter, though you have to say, this was ultimate stupidity by them. The opportunity was there for a real positive media story, in that Hey, you were a bit stupid, but you are in dire straits, so we will honour our policy. Instead it is global bad news for them, which will cost them a lot more than 60 grand. After all, insurance is quite competitive so why risk saving a fiver for a policy you know won't pay out, against one that might?

I hope you are right....  

 

But unfortunately too many people look only at the bottom line, quality no longer matters over price... its why and how we end up consuming so much rubbish... 

 

See these guys out of business... but unfortunately I feel they will remain competitive on price and that's all most people will look at, and why not, 'it won't happen to them, right' ???

 

 

19 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

You have goldfish? What sort?

 

7 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Must be bloody expensive ones 

Sorry to disappoint, but they are gold, they are fish, cheap fish I might add that are not worth insuring anyway, especially if it is money straight out the front door. I would of course, suffer deep traumatic loss when I find them floating belly up one morning, and require counseling. If they won't pay for this accident, I suspect my policy would leave me suffering even greater loss than just the fish.

25 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

You have goldfish? What sort?

Ones that don't dive or swim recklessly I assume. 

10 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I hope you are right....  

 

But unfortunately too many people look only at the bottom line, quality no longer matters over price... its why and how we end up consuming so much rubbish... 

 

See these guys out of business... but unfortunately I feel they will remain competitive on price and that's all most people will look at, and why not, 'it won't happen to them, right' ???

 

 

True enough. But it also sends out an equally bad message, which is, don't bother insuring at all. If I have a shitty accident, a bunch of people I don't know will go fund me, right?

The whole industry will lose and this will become an even more common occurrence than it is right now. 

She was away for 6 months all over the world and the insurance company knew it. Sky diving, being on a bike in Thailand maybe, but if they can't cover diving into a resort pool, I suspect not much else of the policy was worth a lot. Enough folk will take notice to cost them way more than the payout.

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

You have goldfish? What sort?

I'm sure darksidedog doesn't want to carp on about, it's just not the right plaice.

 

Apparently, there was a sign at the pool saying "No Diving". Probably for a very good reason.

The insurance company are bound to have found out about it and therefore refused to pay out.

Insurance companies are very good at finding out things that would mean that they could reuse a claim.

Edited December 18, 20187 yr by Compass Call

This article says the Financial Ombudsman is indeed investigating the insurer.  Hopefully the publicity will serve as a lesson to insurance providers.

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/fundraisers-trying-raise-60k-bring-2334510

 

The article also names the insurance provider, and they sound like the type of shop that preys upon naive people.

 

Most private insurance companies would deny every claim if they could get away with it.  The cheaper ones do, making you fill out the same forms 2 or 3 times to get your stolen phone reimbursed.  But refusing to pay for a young woman’s life saving surgery, and writing her off by saying diving into a pool was a reckless act... that’s a serious d**k move.

3 hours ago, Compass Call said:

Apparently, there was a sign at the pool saying "No Diving". Probably for a very good reason.

The insurance company are bound to have found out about it and therefore refused to pay out.

Insurance companies are very good at finding out things that would mean that they could reuse a claim.

 

I don’t think the insurance company knew about the sign. She was injured and transported to two hospitals for surgery within about 48 hours.  I’ve had emergency surgery too while traveling and the insurer has a very short window to say whether or not they’ll cover you.  For small amounts, maybe they’ll tell you to pay it and file a claim later, but in this case it would be her friends and family making desperate phone calls to a toll free number while the hospital’s rep is standing there.  Someone at the insurance company saw the following: diving into a pool, no lifeguard, and maybe also the time that it happened.  Based on that they used their reckless behaviour clause to deny her.

 

A no diving sign and other fine evidence would come up if they were trying to sue her to recover the costs over an incorrect claim.  And in my opinion, that’s what makes it all worse, because even a crap insurance company should have paid the relatively small amount to save her life and then try to recover it.  A 60k bill isn’t really that high.  It’s not like this accident happened in the US or Japan where it could be a 50 times that.

9 hours ago, darksidedog said:

 

Sorry to disappoint, but they are gold, they are fish, cheap fish I might add that are not worth insuring anyway, especially if it is money straight out the front door. I would of course, suffer deep traumatic loss when I find them floating belly up one morning, and require counseling. If they won't pay for this accident, I suspect my policy would leave me suffering even greater loss than just the fish.

no problem...................just do a go fund me page and get them replaced. ????

wrong on many accounts.begging for medical bills that could have been avoided.she chose to dive in a rock pool in pai.if a sign was there then it is they for a reason.no wonder the insurance refused.they ask everyone to help her cause why not remortage their house or anything else but begging to everyone please help us.i,am sure they will be another begging bowl out soon i wonder  who it will be.if you take out insurance make sure u check the do,s and don,t,s.too many begging for hands out when something happens now

I feel sorry for this young lady. A SCI at neck level is the worst place to have it. Pleased she is getting repatriated and how insurance companies operate has been a real eye opener and everyone should be reading the fine print.

The moral of the story? Don’t buy the cheapest insurance and read the reviews. 

 

 

 

Brigante7.

wrong on many accounts.begging for medical bills that could have been avoided.she chose to dive in a rock pool in pai.if a sign was there then it is they for a reason.no wonder the insurance refused.they ask everyone to help her cause why not remortage their house or anything else but begging to everyone please help us.i,am sure they will be another begging bowl out soon i wonder  who it will be.if you take out insurance make sure u check the do,s and don,t,s.too many begging for hands out when something happens now

Again how much high risk stuff did you do while growing up? Diving into a pool is not high risk, it's super low risk as millions do it every day. She just go unlucky.

 

I'm surprised I'm still alive after the high risk stuff I did and I bet most men have similar stories

. It's easy to criticize when your old and a bit more sensible

 

3 minutes ago, Brigante7 said:

The moral of the story? Don’t buy the cheapest insurance and read the reviews. 

 

 

 

Brigante7.

And do not recklessly (careless/without caution) dive into a shallow pool.....

 

10 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Happy to hear that she is recovering and OK to go home, but of course, if her shyster insurance company hadn't been such a bunch of dogs, the fundraiser would not have been necessary. People dive into pools all day long without drama, so to suggest her doing so was "reckless" is just mean. I hope other tourists take note and put these bandits out of business. I wouldn't insure my goldfish with them after this.

While I haven’t read all the details, has it been proven that the claim was actually within her policies covered limits or is it just generalized anger of no coverage, regardless of incident facts?  Just asking as it haven’t read what her policy actually covered and the insurers stated reason for denial.

10 hours ago, NanLaew said:

You have goldfish? What sort?

it is a gold colour !!! called GOLDIE

9 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I'm sure darksidedog doesn't want to carp on about, it's just not the right plaice.

 

This is not the time or place to play koi. 

The insurance company avoided at least part responsibility.  And surely the bar operator is also responsible.  

Error

Edited December 19, 20187 yr by mommysboy

18 minutes ago, new2here said:

While I haven’t read all the details, has it been proven that the claim was actually within her policies covered limits or is it just generalized anger of no coverage, regardless of incident facts?  Just asking as it haven’t read what her policy actually covered and the insurers stated reason for denial.

The insurance company claimed it was a "reckless" act and they will not cover it.

I agree with the insurance company.

British people are generous!

Its a different World today, If we old Crumblie Folk told or Parents we were off to do sod all for 6 months at 24, we wouldn't be welcome back. Come to think of it, neither could i, and a few other posters here live comfortable in LOS without hard work as youngsters. 2 Bloody weeks off in the Summer was our luxury. Dont blame them, but theres a price to pay long term. Dont rely on inheritance Kids, its blown in a few years.

10 minutes ago, NextStationBangkok said:

British people are generous!

 

Agree.  Though, tbh, the article says it was a "world-wide" response.  At all events, it's pleasing to see that, despite so much $hit taking place in the world, the spirit of generosity still pulses weakly in the Global DNA.

Nice one, Scrooges of the world.