Brit who broke neck diving into shallow end of pool to return home on Christmas Day

[KneeDeep]

21 minutes ago, Alexandra3 said:

If you’re from an area with pools like California, Florida, etc you know to not dive into the shallow end. If you’re not from a community of private pool owners and didn’t grow up with a pool in back of your home this isn’t info that was transmitted to you. 

 

England isn’t the land of pools. English people don’t have the cultural experience of using a private pool daily. 

 

Unless you grew up with a pool in your home backyard you don’t learn about pool safety rules. It’s not part of your life experience. 

 

It’s not cool to judge someone who has had a tragic accident and didn’t know better. She simply didn’t know. 

She didn’t know to not dive into the shallow end and then decide to do it anyway. She didn’t know. 

 

If you know the risk and do it anyway the legal term for that is “you assumed the risk” and this is completely different from not knowing the risk. You’re assuming she knew the risk and assumed the risk. I’m assuming that she didn’t know the risk at all because a pool was not part of her life experience growing up.

 

Are you lacking in empathy and compassion? 

 

The issue is not with the girl at all, but the posters who try to blame the insurance company.

You have to wonder from how high she was diving. The insurance company have viewed CCTV of the incident and have decided that she deliberately put herself at risk.

Nothing against the girl at all, but she cannot expect an insurance company to indemnify all of her excesses.

Let's see what the Ombudsman will say.

[KneeDeep]

Thaiwrath appears to spend a lot of his time 'Confused'.....

[JLCrab]

20 minutes ago, KneeDeep said:

The baseless criticism of insurance companies on these threads is beyond imbecilic at times.

No -- it is standard.

 

I remember speaking with the local BUPA rep about some of the negative things being said on ThaiVisa about BUPA.

 

She said: That's nothing. You should read what they write on the (Thai language) Pantip website.

Edited December 22, 2018 by JLCrab

[billd766]

1 hour ago, JackGats said:

What do insurances cover then if they don't cover biking or swimming accidents? I hope once back home she can sue the ass out of that insurance company.

To know what any insurance company will insure you for you need to read the very small print.

 

Having read and understood that you then need to make a plan of what you think you might do on your holiday, motor bike riding, swimming, mountain climbing or whatever and check if you need extra coverage and what it will cost. 

 

It may also pay you to check how much hospital cover and whether it is a private or only a state hospital you are covered for. Try asking how much the cover will cost if you ever need an air ambulance to come home in.

 

All this is just boring crap because you are in your teens or twenties and you know you can beat the world and you aren't ever going to need it. So why bother as you can spend that extra cost on more enjoyment.

 

After all things like that only happen to other people, don't they?

 

Until that day when you DO need it, which is when the Oh Sh1t mode kicks in.

[theonetrueaussie]

6 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

Feel sorry for the girl over the broken neck, and possible paralysis for life, but seriously people, she didn't have enough sense not to dive head first into the SHALLOW end of the pool?  

Are you really surprised, her first time in asia. Everywhere else in the world pools are fairly deep and you can dive in the shallow end no problem. Thais and asians are just so small that the shallow end is WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY way way way more shallow then the rest of the world. Saw other people diving into the pool and didn't think anything of it, an easy mistake for a first timer here!

[sawadee1947]

High price for stupidity. 

[MJKT2014]

What a tragic accident, but with a smile like that this lady will have the determination to pull through anything.

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I suspect her 'go fund me' campaign was so successful because people recognized the injustice... She'd taken the right steps to get insurance and was then cheated. 

She had bought insurance but her reckless act of diving into a dimly lit bar's pool late at night voided her claim, she was not cheated

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

 It's luck of the draw as to whether an insurance company will look for an excuse to weasel out of coverage. This move is a classic one, industry standard to try to blame the victim. Some are more crooked than others but they're all crooked to some extent. 

Insurance companies are no more crooked than any other heavily regulated industry, or you or me!

 

All insurers examine every claim to ensure that the circumstances of the claim are legitimate and covered.  It's nothing to do with weaseling-out of anything; the girl in this case did not comply with the policy conditions regarding reckless acts.  If the policy does not cover the claim, they won't pay, why should they? 

Edited December 22, 2018 by Just Weird

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, JackGats said:

What do insurances cover then if they don't cover biking or swimming accidents? I hope once back home she can sue the ass out of that insurance company.

They don't cover reckless acts, the one referred to in this OP was not an "accident".

[Myran]

"We didn't have motorcycles when I was a kid, therefore I didn't know you're supposed to wear a helmet while riding one. It was just a mistake, not negligence on my part." This seems to be the level at which some TV members reason.

 

You don't need to have five years of pool experience to know it's a bad idea to dive head first into a body of water you don't know the depth of, just like you don't need to have motorcycle experience to know you're in for a world of hurt if you fall down while riding one without a helmet.

 

Something being an accident doesn't rule out negligence.

 

I hope she does a full recovery and wish her the best of luck, but diving head-first into a body of water your're not familiar with is definitely negligent.

[bkk6060]

4 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Insurance companies are no more crooked than any other heavily regulate industry or you or me!

 

All insurers examine every claim to ensure that the circumstances of the claim are legitimate and covered.  It's nothing to do with weaseling-out of anything; the girl in this case did not comply with the policy conditions regarding reckless acts.  If the policy does not cover the claim, they won't pay, why should they? 

One of the few who realise the truth about how the industry works.

Great post.

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, KneeDeep said:

 

What is this gobbledegook??

 

The Insurance company is fine. They insure motorbikes up to 125 cc as standard. Pool use is also covered. Diving headfirst recklessly into shallow pools is not.

 

The baseless criticism of insurance companies on these threads is beyond imbecilic at times.

"The baseless criticism of insurance companies on these threads is beyond imbecilic at times".

 

...but par for the course, unfortunately!

[hotchilli]

A somewhat happier ending to a tragic holiday experience... at least she has a beautiful smile.

On a lighter note I hope the neck brace won't stop the sprouts going down ^^

Have a great Xmas back home... ohh just one more thing... best to check the Xmas pudding for coins before swallowing !

[pacovl46]

Well, the fact that she has some feeling in her arms and legs is a good sign. With proper rehabilitation she might be able to walk again. I wish her all the best!

[ChipButty]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

A somewhat happier ending to a tragic holiday experience... at least she has a beautiful smile.

On a lighter note I hope the neck brace won't stop the sprouts going down ^^

Have a great Xmas back home... ohh just one more thing... best to check the Xmas pudding for coins before swallowing !

         And no diving in the pool

[bristolgeoff]

Should have read the do,s and don,t,s of the policy.went begging for help like many do.happens alot now.you can see the pool if near the bar was shallow and drunk will not help.i don,t blame the insurance company for refusing not they fault she jumped into shallow water drunk.she got lucky and now she will have time to think how stupid she was.people will not like this comment but life and travelling you have to box clever

[Huckenfell]

12 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

Feel sorry for the girl over the broken neck, and possible paralysis for life, but seriously people, she didn't have enough sense not to dive head first into the SHALLOW end of the pool?  

Oh dear oh dear, are you absolutely sure that she knew it was the shallow end, were you there.

[Huckenfell]

I do not trust insurance companies as from experience i am sure that if there is the slightest sniff of avoidance they will jump at it. Last year i had a bad fall the night before a long haul flight, and was not able to fly for a week, i know that one of the questions was "had i been drinking"  but no i was at home reading. They at first declined but i fought my claim and 4 months later was paid my lost airfare. The insurance was taken out by ticking a box on inline booking. The airline's insurance company eventually came good, so the airline shall remain nameless although it was one of the world's best. I often wonder, just how many people pay that extra for insurance and never have to make a claim, so it must be a very lucrative business.

[Huckenfell]

6 hours ago, Just Weird said:

"The baseless criticism of insurance companies on these threads is beyond imbecilic at times".

 

...but par for the course, unfortunately!

I just love that word "recklessly" when you want to win a point, especially without proof.

[kwak250]

Well most of us have probably done much worse and have got away with it so i for one wish her well and hope she can recover from her unfortunate accident.

[Awk]

10 hours ago, Rod the Sod said:

Dr Jack. It is not so much about good and bad companies although of course there are bandits to steer clear of. It is about getting the cover you really need and making a call on the cost. Most feel that they will cut a corner or two and some, like this young lady, live to regret it. Everyone hates insurance when paying their premium, and they hate them even more when they make a claim and get nothing. Then there are the people who cry with happiness when they talk about their insurance company because, like a friend of mine right now, they pay out, without any dispute US$2mio for her cancer treatment (over 6 year period). You pays your money and you takes yer choice.

 

And how do you know in advance if an insurance company is worth to "pays your money" too, or if someone is "cutting a corner or two?"  Is it simply "the more expensive it is, the better it must be?"

 

This woman seems to have, as one should, purchased a travel insurance to get the cover she needed.  

Claiming her diving into a swimmingpool was reckless and use that as grounds to not pay out insurance, if that is what 

"Insure and Go" have done, seems a tad unfounded to me and I will be sure to stay clear of this "Insure and Go" company myself.   If the story is more or less as told I sure hope the UK ombudsman comes down on them too.

 

 

[mogandave]

To be fair, we don’t know anything about the insurance policy, nor do we know if the claim will ultimately be refused.

Assuming the people are not fools, they’ll contest the determination and resubmit. I have done this several times successfully with medical claims.

[jerojero]

Feel sorry for the girl over the broken neck, and possible paralysis for life, but seriously people, she didn't have enough sense not to dive head first into the SHALLOW end of the pool?  

You are 100% correct. But might be surprised how often this happens in numerous other countries! People think maybe shallow but if so my hands will break me from face-plant, but does not. Same as falling off a bicycle, people think the can break their fall with their arms and hands....cannot, and heads hit the ground!

[jerojero]

The first sentence was nice. The scolding part is worth less.

Wrong. The scolding was appropriate given the lack of caution taken.

[prism]

12 hours ago, Just Weird said:

She had bought insurance but her reckless act of diving into a dimly lit bar's pool late at night voided her claim, she was not cheated

I read elsewhere that there was a "No Diving" sign by the pool which is why her claim was being declined.

[impulse]

13 hours ago, billd766 said:

To know what any insurance company will insure you for you need to read the very small print.

 

According to this CBC documentary, you often need both a doctor and a lawyer to understand the policies completely.  The doctor to understand the medical terms and the lawyer to understand the legalese.

 

 

[SheungWan]

16 hours ago, oslooskar said:

There is a rooftop pool in the building where my son's condo is located in Bangkok that is an accident waiting to happen. The entire pool is tiled in black so that one has absolutely no reference point to warn himself that he is approaching the end of the pool. In fact, one must constantly lift his head out of the water to see where he is going or risk bumping his head. Most lap pools where I come from have black tiles in them only to mark lanes and to mark the end of the pool.

Then it would certainly be reckless behaviour to dive into that pool at night time.

[SheungWan]

5 hours ago, kwak250 said:

Well most of us have probably done much worse and have got away with it so i for one wish her well and hope she can recover from her unfortunate accident.

Yes, I got away with a lot of stupid, reckless behaviour when I was younger. It was on my own head, so to speak.

[bkk6060]

9 hours ago, Huckenfell said:

Oh dear oh dear, are you absolutely sure that she knew it was the shallow end, were you there.

No, but that is the point....