British personal trainer needs £250,000 to get home from Thailand after falling from third-storey balcony and suffering horrific injuries while on holiday

[webfact]

Kieran, reported to be of Castleford, West Yorkshire, fell three storeys from a hotel balcony

 

◼︎Kieran, of Castleford, West Yorkshire, fell three storeys from a hotel balcony 
◼︎His return to the UK could cost £170,000-£250,000 without insurance help

 

By LAUREN HAUGHEY

A Brit holidaying in Thailand fell three storeys from a hotel balcony and now desperately needs £250,000 to get home for urgent surgery.

 

A couple's 'dream holiday' has now 'turned into a nightmare' after Kieran suffered internal bleeding and fractured his pelvis.

 

Since a speed boat rushed the 23-year-old to Bangkok Phuket Hospital for life-saving surgery, the couple's medical bills have piled up. 

 

Kieran, reported to be from Yorkshire by The Mirror, 'cannot move from a laying down position' and urgently needs another surgery as part of his recovery in learning how to walk again. 

 

Doctors advised that Kieran is flown back to the UK for the procedure, but this could cost between £170,000-£250,000 'without any help from the insurance'.

 

His heartbroken girlfriend - also on the trip - said she 'wouldn’t wish this on [her] worst enemy', adding that their best efforts are 'falling short'. 

 

Full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11797483/Brit-needs-250-000-home-Thailand-falling-storey-balcony-holiday.html

 

-- © Copyright Daily Mail 2023-02-28

 

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[Mike Teavee]

29 minutes ago, Pique Dard said:

...it is not good to blame someone in his position, but how can he travel so faraway from his country without insurance?

If you read the linked article, it seems they have Travel Insurance  "Eleven days after the incident, Shauna said they were still in an 'exhaustive and tiring fight' with the insurance company."

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pique Dard]

6 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

If you read the linked article, it seems they have Travel Insurance  "Eleven days after the incident, Shauna said they were still in an 'exhaustive and tiring fight' with the insurance company."

 

 

 

 

 

 

sorry! you are right

[ukrules]

41 minutes ago, Pique Dard said:

...it is not good to blame someone in his position, but how can he travel so faraway from his country without insurance?

Why do you think he didn't have insurance?

 

They don't want to help, that's the message I read. I wonder who his insurer is and why they're dragging their heels on paying?

[thaibeachlovers]

8 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Why do you think he didn't have insurance?

 

They don't want to help, that's the message I read. I wonder who his insurer is and why they're dragging their heels on paying?

As we don't have all the facts, we can't really comment as to why the insurance company are reluctant to pay up, but if they did the right thing and got proper insurance, it's an unfortunate situation. 

I can't see them getting 250,000 quid from strangers so I have no idea as to what can happen now.

There is no way he can fly home without an air ambulance and obviously they can't pay to stay.

However, there has to be an answer- perhaps the UK government can fly him home on a military flight.

[ukrules]

I'm going to guess that there's some kind of exclusion involving either an unsafe building or alcohol consumption.

 

I'm hoping it's due to the balcony not being high enough, at least there might be someone to sue.

 

I've heard that some insurance policies will deny any claim if you've got any detectable alcohol in your blood.

Considering a lot of people like a drink or two when on holiday that kind of negates the usefulness of the policy for what might be a large percentage of the persons stay. One glass of wine might be enough to negate your insurance. Buyer beware.

 

Time will tell I guess.

 

[ezzra]

What is it with travel insurance companies who are quick to tame your money but very slow and playing hard to get when the chips are down and they have to pay? I can't see that this kind of money can be raised quick enough for the young block to be sent home for the urgent treatment he needs.

[sletraveler]

41 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Why do you think he didn't have insurance?

 

They don't want to help, that's the message I read. I wonder who his insurer is and why they're dragging their heels on paying?

Isn’t that standard for insurance companies?   They look for any means possible to deny payment since it affects their bottom line. 

[jabis]

I'm sure they meant 420

 

Quote

His return to the UK could cost £170,000-£250,000 without insurance help

 

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, jabis said:

I'm sure they meant 420

 

 

Why would they mean 420 ?

[Dazkkk]

Standing on balconies in Thailand will soon be added to the list of dangerous sports/pass times on insurance policies. 
Do Thai hospitals take routine blood tests for alcohol consumption from patients admitted for emergency care, I doubt it.
So how can an insurance company know anyone had imbibed? 

[jabis]

Just now, Mac Mickmanus said:

Why would they mean 420 ?

No proof of any real expenditure - no invoices/receipts from the care, nothing to substantiate any urgent need for re-patriation - seems the couple are fighting over the maximums written in the policies - so     

[Mike Teavee]

9 minutes ago, Dazkkk said:

Standing on balconies in Thailand will soon be added to the list of dangerous sports/pass times on insurance policies. 
Do Thai hospitals take routine blood tests for alcohol consumption from patients admitted for emergency care, I doubt it.
So how can an insurance company know anyone had imbibed? 

I would have thought that in the case of a serious accident like this, they would do Blood toxicology tests if for no other reason than it could be fatal to give him medication if he was intoxicated or impaired due to having other drugs in his system (NB I am not saying this is the case here). 

 

One time in Bangkok after a few beers I tripped cutting my head open & had to go to hospital for a scan/stiches, they took blood samples but I can't say for sure what they did with them. Total cost was only 15K so I just paid it & didn't bother with the Insurance company as I knew that if they had tested for alcohol I would have been over the limit.

 

 

I think most of us have a few drinks on holiday & would probably fail the insurance bar for the amount of alcohol we have in us at night, this is a very unfortunate reminder of what could happen if you did find yourself in that situation (Again, I am not saying that is the case here). 

 

[scubascuba3]

Shame article doesn't say why claim denied, I'll guess, alcohol. There will be an exclusion in policy, it's standard

[RJRS1301]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

If you read the linked article, it seems they have Travel Insurance  "Eleven days after the incident, Shauna said they were still in an 'exhaustive and tiring fight' with the insurance company."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was alcohol involved as this may have invalidated the policy 

[itsari]

5 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

However if alcohol involved or illicit substances the policy invalidated 

The insurer would have to prove that alcohol was the root cause of the accident .  

Just the fact the insured has been drinking is not enough for the insurer to deny the claim .

[pomchop]

Insurance companies are experts in wiggling out of claims as there are always lots of loopholes in the fine print that a gaggle of lawyers wrote and most people never read and don't have their own gaggle of lawyers to go through it all. 

 

It's what they do and one reason they make massive profits a lot of which is spent on lobbying politicians to keep them from being more closely regulated and transparent with fine print loopholes.  

[thaibeachlovers]

14 minutes ago, itsari said:

The insurer would have to prove that alcohol was the root cause of the accident .  

Just the fact the insured has been drinking is not enough for the insurer to deny the claim .

That would be dependent on the small print in the policy.

[zzaa09]

8 minutes ago, pomchop said:

Insurance companies are experts in wiggling out of claims as there are always lots of loopholes in the fine print that a gaggle of lawyers wrote and most people never read and don't have their own gaggle of lawyers to go through it all. 

 

It's what they do and one reason they make massive profits a lot of which is spent on lobbying politicians to keep them from being more closely regulated and transparent with fine print loopholes.  

Hence the reference to Insurance Mafia.

Gangsters hiding behind legitimate business. 

[itsari]

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

That would be dependent on the small print in the policy.

Insurance companies are regulated .

The small print has to be within the regulations .

 

[SuperSilverHaze]

Always British

[Captain Monday]

Read your "Travel insurance" policy details very carefully. If you think it covers a medical evacuation flight back to Englund you might be quite surprised

[bradiston]

I'm always curious to know how you fall out of a 3rd floor balcony, or any other balcony. I guess the insurance company is asking the same question. If the balustrades are dangerously low, don't go out there.

[sezze]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

I'm going to guess that there's some kind of exclusion involving either an unsafe building or alcohol consumption.

 

I'm hoping it's due to the balcony not being high enough, at least there might be someone to sue.

 

I've heard that some insurance policies will deny any claim if you've got any detectable alcohol in your blood.

Considering a lot of people like a drink or two when on holiday that kind of negates the usefulness of the policy for what might be a large percentage of the persons stay. One glass of wine might be enough to negate your insurance. Buyer beware.

 

Time will tell I guess.

 

Exactly what i was thinking . In fact all insurance companies i know off have this in their statements. Drugs and alcohol are always a red line.

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

I'm going to guess that there's some kind of exclusion involving either an unsafe building or alcohol consumption.

 

I'm hoping it's due to the balcony not being high enough, at least there might be someone to sue.

 

I've heard that some insurance policies will deny any claim if you've got any detectable alcohol in your blood.

Considering a lot of people like a drink or two when on holiday that kind of negates the usefulness of the policy for what might be a large percentage of the persons stay. One glass of wine might be enough to negate your insurance. Buyer beware.

 

Time will tell I guess.

 

Travel insurance would pay if there was an issue with a balcony or building. The insurers would then file a claim against the building owners, who would hopefully have public liability insurance, though levels of cover in Thailand might be low. It's standard market practice and is known as subrogation.

 

I would guess that a drugs/alcohol exclusion would be the most likely reason to deny liability but without knowing the facts I wouldn't want to speculate further.,

 

I would also add that if someone has an accident after just a couple of beers and it is demonstrated that alcohol consumption was not a contributing factor to the accident, insurers may not decline a claim under UK law. A travel insurance bought in the UK will be subject to UK laws.

 

 

 

 

[IamNoone88]

Not enough information on the full circumstances of the fall or the reason why their insurance is not paying .. only they need a significant donation.

[Dukeleto]

The devil is in the details, why is there no elaboration on the balcony fall and how that occurred. If this was the fault of the accommodation they were staying at then I am sure we would have read about it but the lack of that information (unless I have not read it) indicates there was stupidity, drunkenness or carelessness involved which any insurance company is going to baulk at paying out for.

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

I'm going to guess that there's some kind of exclusion involving either an unsafe building or alcohol consumption.

 

I'm hoping it's due to the balcony not being high enough, at least there might be someone to sue.

 

I've heard that some insurance policies will deny any claim if you've got any detectable alcohol in your blood.

Considering a lot of people like a drink or two when on holiday that kind of negates the usefulness of the policy for what might be a large percentage of the persons stay. One glass of wine might be enough to negate your insurance. Buyer beware.

 

Time will tell I guess.

 

Who knows all the facts?

The exclusion to the healthcare insurance might be paying extra for the ambulatory flight to the UK. It might have required a separate expensive insurance rider that was not taken.

But leaves me wondering, Thailand hospitals are not capable of doing the required surgery/repairs and it must be done in the UK? As medical procedures in Thailand are about 1/3 of the cost in developed nations like US, UK, going back home instead becomes an unnecessary cost to the insurance company. If the foreign insurance is acceptable to a Thai hospital (as mine is), getting it done in Thailand makes sense.

[Thomas KH]

Fine print:

1. Full coverage valid only on 30th Feb of every year, otherwise $200

2. Lost luggage and trip cancellation valid only for those with three ears

3. Proof of GoFundMe account with generous donors, otherwise policy is null and void

4. Defamatory complaints about our products and services renders policy totally void

5. Emergency repatriation covers inflight food only. Policyholder pays everything else.

[RichardColeman]

People do not just 'fall' from balconies. Either the building is at fault or he is at fault. 

 

As for the insurance company, they could simply be waiting on his blood alcohol level before paying out or refusing to due to it being his own fault.

 

That said, there should be no reason why the hospital and authorities could not have made that decision within a few hours of it happening.