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

[snoop1130]

 

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

 

-- © 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.

[anchadian]

Did he digest the policy conditions of his travel insurance?  I doubt it.

Hope he recovers well enough to travel to the UK.

 

 

[arithai12]

Looks quite serious, I hope he pulls through, best wishes.

 

As for the insurance refusal to pay, difficult to express an opinion without knowing the circumstances of his fall and the details of what was supposedly covered and what not.

[Yorkshire Tea]

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

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

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

Agreed..... 

.... Perhaps the insurance has a 'no-balconies' clause...  _(sarcasm)

 

IF the family are unclear of the circumstances of the fall, how can the insurance possibly refuse the claim - do they know something the family don't ???

 

It would be interesting to learn why the Travel Insurance company refused the claim (and who this company is).... Was it a 'booze clause' ?...   and if so, does that mean 100% no booze or reasonable amounts etc ?

 

 

 

 

 

[Gaccha]

10 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

how can the insurance possibly refuse the claim - do they know something the family don't ???

They get access to the medical records etc as required by the terms of the insurance agreement.

[Liverpool Lou]

46 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

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

Consumption of alcohol does not necessarily void a policy, it is the excess consumption of alcohol (that would contribute to the incident) that generally does.

 

But you are right, if a person is inclined to over-imbibe there is no point in buying a policy that doesn't cover those circumstances.

[Liverpool Lou]

35 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

IF the family are unclear of the circumstances of the fall, how can the insurance possibly refuse the claim - do they know something the family don't ???

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?

[richard_smith237]

30 minutes ago, Gaccha said:

40 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

how can the insurance possibly refuse the claim - do they know something the family don't ???

They get access to the medical records etc as required by the terms of the insurance agreement.

(This is pure speculation on my part) - could the medical report have stated the IP's Blood Alcohol levels which are in excess of limits stated within the policy ???...

 

.... AND... IF so, how are the family not aware of this ?... Or are they aware, and simply not mentioning this.

[richard_smith237]

1 minute 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?

Yup...  that could well the the possibility - a sensible move perhaps. 

 

People are perhaps less inclined to donate to a 'go-fund-me' if it was clear the injured lad was excessively inebriated (again, just speculation of course).

[Jingthing]

It is news.

[Pink Mist]

A post criticizing the OP has been removed.

 

 

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[MadMuhammad]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Consumption of alcohol does not necessarily void a policy, it is the excess consumption of alcohol (that would contribute to the incident) that generally does.

 

But you are right, if a person is inclined to over-imbibe there is no point in buying a policy that doesn't cover those circumstances.

The policies I’ve seen and used usually have a blood alcohol content maximum that voids cover 

[NoDisplayName]

from linked article:

Quote

Unfortunately, following their investigations, the insurers have deemed that due to the circumstances of the incident, they will not be covering the claim.

therefore:

Quote

She has also initiated fundraising efforts

 

[kwilco]

there needs to be a serious revue of balcony designs in Thailand - the rails are dangerously low especially for Westerners who are generally taller than Thai people.

[sfbandung]

You need much more information before casting judgement. Of course there is alcohol. Did a railing fail? Falling off a balcony isn't that easy so what are the specific circumstances? Insurance companies will generally ocover a legitimate accident but not something effectively self inflicted. His family must be shattered.

[alex8912]

11 hours ago, anchadian said:

Did he digest the policy conditions of his travel insurance?  I doubt it.

Hope he recovers well enough to travel to the UK.

 

 

So stupid 

[alex8912]

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

(This is pure speculation on my part) - could the medical report have stated the IP's Blood Alcohol levels which are in excess of limits stated within the policy ???...

 

.... AND... IF so, how are the family not aware of this ?... Or are they aware, and simply not mentioning this.

There are blood alcohol level info in British travel insurance policies? 

[alex8912]

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. 

[Aussie999]

11 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

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

I do wish posters would stop their "guessing."

[kwilco]

health and safety at hotels resorts and other tourist attractions in Thailand is deplorable.

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, arithai12 said:

Looks quite serious, I hope he pulls through, best wishes.

 

As for the insurance refusal to pay, difficult to express an opinion without knowing the circumstances of his fall and the details of what was supposedly covered and what not.

Read the small print and behave yourself on holiday...

[KhunLA]

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.

[Classic Ray]

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!

[IamNoone88]

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.

[HappyExpat57]

I dated an insurance agent for a year and got to see the "behind the scenes" operations. It's nothing but legalized extortion and their default position is to deny anything and everything they can.

 

Yes, the circumstances surrounding this event are unknown to us, but the insurance companies' primary goal is always clear - deny, deny, deny!

[jacko45k]

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....

[keithkarmann]

The attempted rescue of the passengers of the Titan sub must have cost millions, all for what? How is it when a few £thousands are needed to to repatriate someone in need of life saving medical care offers are not forthcoming. I am not condoning the injured party's stupidity but if this balcony fall happened in his own country medical care would be unlimited. The only difference I can see here is that the occupants of the sub were very wealthy but the chances are that the families of the sub occupants will not be asked for payment of the rescue.

[youngster30uk]

Many policies have excluded falls from balconies for some years already

Insurance companies crack down on holidaymakers claiming for balcony fall injuries
 

Aviva underwriter Kate Niven said: ‘The requirement that you take all reasonable precautions to protect yourself and prevent accidents is already present in all travel policies.

To clarify further . . . we will be excluding claims for balcony falls.’

 

 

[CecilM]

2 hours ago, kwilco said:

there needs to be a serious revue of balcony designs in Thailand - the rails are dangerously low especially for Westerners who are generally taller than Thai people.

Really? Two decades here and I’ve yet to see a balcony or railing at a mall/ hotel/resort where I thought “Oh, that looks a bit low”.