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British student’s harrowing balcony plunge leaves him fighting for life in a Thailand hospital


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A British student is fighting for his life in hospital after a harrowing fall from a hotel balcony in Thailand.

 

The 21 year old Teesside University student is unconscious in a Thai hospital suffering from major internal and external injuries following a plunge from a balcony in Chiang Mai.

 

Jack Heathcock had been on what his sister Chloe described as a ‘dream backpacking adventure’ around Thailand with two friends when the unfortunate incident occurred on June 17.

 

The nursing student was due to return to Middlesbrough in the North-East of England on June 19 but he fell from a third storey balcony in the northern Thailand city of Chiang Mai, where he is now fighting for his life.

 

Heathcock was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries to address damage to his spleen, liver, and kidneys, as well as injuries including a lung bleed, brain trauma, and fractures to his neck and pelvis. Despite the passage of more than two weeks, the British student remains in critical condition, and his family is desperately seeking a way to bring him back home, reported the Teesside Gazette.

 

Upon receiving news of the accident from their son’s friend, Jack’s parents, Ian and Joy Heathcock, wasted no time and flew to Thailand to be by his side. Although Jack had travel insurance, the family claims that the insurance company is refusing to cover the costs associated with his treatment.

 

By Bob Scott

Caption: Picture courtesy of the Heathcock family

 

#news

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/news/chiang-mai/british-students-harrowing-balcony-plunge-leaves-him-fighting-for-life-in-a-thailand-hospital

 

Thaiger

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-07-05

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

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A post criticizing the OP has been removed.

 

 

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10 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Perhaps the family does know something about the circumstances of the denial of the claim from the insurer but are reluctant to include it in a request for money so that other people to pay the bills?

Perhaps the family  knows nothing about it and came  to aid their son. 

Edited by alex8912
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36 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

I do wish posters would stop their "guessing."

Doesn't take much of a guess.  Falling off a balcony is not the easiest thing to do.  BUT ... add a slab of beer, and it apparently is quite common with tourist.

 

Not a whole lot of reasons left to deny a claim.

 

Agree with others, it really is silly to have travel ins, at that age, on holiday, as myself, would always have alcohol in my system.  From sipping with meals, to full on party mode while on holiday.

 

It's simply what you do when a youngin, or what many expats continue to do in retirement/end of life, never ending holiday.  

 

Best escape clause there is for denying claims, and doesn't even have to be a high A/B limit, as a few beers would put you over any 'driving' limit.

 

Can't fault the ins companies, simply good business, and protects themselves.

 

If any of us were underwriting the policy, yea, you'd have an A/B limit clause in it also.

Edited by KhunLA
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Balconies in many countries in tourist accommodation are often too low, to save construction money. I have experienced this in France and Spain  as well as throughout Asia.

 

More publicity needs to be given to these shortcomings and  also the exclusions in travel insurance policies that limit insurer’s liabilities in  what are sometimes the most serious incidents. Maybe people would  take a little more care if they realised the dangers. Thailand ain’t Kansas, Toto!

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12 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

I'm guessing alcohol consumption voided his insurance.  In which case, what's the point of travel insurance?

Drug use would definately void insurance. Not sure about alchohol unless it was together with a forbidden activity such as driving ... which it was clearly not. Anyway, all just speculation until the facts are known.

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Of course we will get into the usual discussion of bad insurance companies and reading the conditions of the policy..... and many presuppositions.  Poor lad... dangerous times for young males those late teens and early twenties....a recklessness in their ways. Hope they get him home....

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