Posts Tagged ‘insurance’

A young Brit on holiday in Thailand survived a near fatal crash when the equipment that he was using to bungee jump failed and he was plunged into the water below.

Rishi Baveja had paid the $60 fee to the Jungle Bungy Centre in Kathu, Thailand only because they boasted a 100 per cent safety record.

It is unfortunate that it was Baveja who has smashed their safety record but ironically it is fortunate that he hit the water, at 80 mph, with his chest rather than his head. Fortunate for had it been with his head the consequences would have been worse than they were.

The poor man spent a month in a Bangkok hospital recovering from a ruptured spleen, torn liver, collapsed lungs and massive bruising.

In the video from widowsbreath you can see the near fatal jump – remember to check out the small print and make sure the company you are jumping with has appropriate and internationally recognised insurance. This is an extreme sport, you are risking yourself to severe physical and or mental damage if something goes wrong - nota bene.

With news that adrenaline junkie Nicolas Cage is planning to take a break from acting to become a hang gliding pilot we thought he might like a few tips. Cage who is currently in London whilst filming is desperate to get his wings and has discovered it takes just two weeks to get a licence in the Swiss Alps.

Nicholas Cage as Superman

Well we thought we would provide a helping hand with the video below from rbonvent which is the United States’ Hang Gliding Association production of how to fly a hang glider. Cage has apparently hit a snag – he can’t get insurance to cover the high-risk sport – but we suggest with the proper instruction this need not be the high risk sport that many would have you believe.

Watch the USHGA’s instructional video below – it will give you some confidence.

Cage is no stranger to adrenaline-fuelled activities in the air. He starred in airborne drama Con Air and then played a helicopter pilot in Fire Birds. The actor is also said to be obsessed with Superman, and even gave his son Kal-El the superhero’s birth name on Krypton. After the premiere of Superman Returns, he said: “Each night I have dreams that I’m flying. I’m a real good floater in my sleep.”

Thats OK Nick but this will be the real thing – you simply cannot afford to make a mistake – take lessons from properly qualified instructors and as we have said on numerous occasions about every different kind of extreme sport – you must take your time in learning the art of what you are doing – please don’t rush Nick and remember this is the real thing – you are no more than Clark Kent!

Having travel insurance which covers every eventuality when you are abroad is not cheap but it is a prerequisite. I know from personal experience – my son was on his ‘gap’ year, travelling round the world and had got as far as Thailand where he had a horrific accident on the motorbike he had rented. To cut a long story short he was picked up from Koh Samui by a private jet and flown to Bangkok, as there were no hospitals that could deal with the extent of his injuries in the south of the country. He was on the slab for 10 hours – every bone in his head had been broken and there he stayed for at least two weeks – the bill – zero, de nada, rien.

The message for me is clear – this is the case of the well spent pound, dollar or euro – just do it.

Below is a useful Q & A about mediacal insurance for all activities expertly put together by Hugo Matin from the Los Angeles Times – thanks Hugo for this great advice.

Q. How do I know if my medical and life insurance policies cover my sport?

A. Most medical and life insurance policies have an exclusion clause that lists the high-risk sports that are not covered. The list of high-risk activities varies by provider and is based on actuarial numbers and accident statistics.

Motorcycling, skydiving, bungee jumping, white-water rafting, parasailing, and spelunking are among the activities that might not be covered. Check the exclusion clause on your policy.

Q. What do I need to know about getting travel insurance for a high-risk adventure sport?

A. You don’t have to cancel your current policy just because it does not cover your sport. You can buy supplemental coverage to add to your existing policy. You can buy year-round supplemental insurance or a short-term policy to cover the time you will be traveling.

Q. What does insurance for high-risk activities cost?

A. The price for such policies varies, depending on your age and the amount of coverage and services you want.

For example, Travel Insurance Services Inc. offers the Voyager Annual Plan, which costs $218 a year for a person younger than 69.

The policy covers activities including motorcycling, skiing, and skydiving, and pays as much as $10,000 in medical bills and as much as $100,000 for medical evacuation costs per incident, among other services.

Q. Are there any other ways to get coverage for high-risk activities?

A. If you participate in a professional or amateur competition, such as a mountain biking race, the organizers often carry insurance to cover all participants. To be safe, check with the organizer before participating in any race.

Q. If I hire a professional guide to take me rock climbing, mountain biking, or to take part in some other adventure sport, will the guide’s insurance pay if I get injured?

A. No. Guides for high-risk sports typically require that clients sign a liability waiver. Don’t expect the guide’s insurance to cover you.

If, however, the guide, through negligence or failure to act, causes your injury, you might be able to sue to recover your medical cost.

But don’t rely on that. Get the extra coverage before you leave home, and if something goes wrong, your insurance company can try to recover your medical costs from your negligent guide.

Q. What do evacuation policies cost?

A. Birmingham, Ala.-based MedjetAssist charges members younger than 75 an annual fee of $225. Members injured at least 150 miles from home will be evacuated from almost any airport in the world. MedjetAssist offers short-term memberships, such as a seven-day deal for a fee of $85.

Q. Who sells policies for high-risk, outdoor adventurers?

Travel Insurance Services, which the Sierra Club recommends to its members: 800-37-1387, travelinsure.com.

Adventure Advocates, a nonprofit membership organization: 800-211-9002, adventureadvocates.com

Global Travel Shield, underwritten by American Express: 800-332-4899, globaltravelshield.com

MedjetAssist, medical evacuations only: 800-527-7478, www.medjetassist.com

And there are many more so look around. It may take you a day to sort out the wheat from the chaff but it will be worth it _ as i mentioned above a bill of in excess of $30,000 would have landed on my doormat had I had no insurance – do it.

Remember I talked about the furore created by the 2 scuba divers who came up 200m away from their dive site and were then ‘lost’ at sea for 19hrs – and all the fuss and fanfare that’s gone on since?

Well, it’s not over yet. I picked this up from News.com.au and was written by an irate citizen,Larissa Cummings:

“It’s hard not to be cynical when comparing the plight of the hard-working majority – those who consider nabbing a seat on the train each morning an extreme sport – with those lucky rescued divers Richard Neely and Allyson Dalton.”

For the simple feat of “surviving” their extreme sport – which also happens to be their job – the couple has been showered with lucrative publishing deals, while the rest of us who live safely and quietly are struggling to afford a holiday. ” So says Larissa.

But the rumbles have seeped through all walks of society.

President of the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association Gary Raymond is worried about the message it sends when people are able to make money from their “acts of stupidity”.

“It makes them out to be survivor heroes, but if they don’t obey the rules of their sport they are just survivor fools,” he said.

“It should be mandatory for people who do extreme activities to have insurance and, if they don’t, they should pay the cost of the rescue.” (A good point I think – my comment)

Mr Raymond said it would send a more preventative message if Neely and Dalton donated all of the money from their story to the rescue associations that saved their lives.

“These sports have rules for a reason. Like the caver (Geoff McDonnell, who got stuck in the Wombeyan Caves) a few weeks ago, these people broke the rules. The chance of the casualty rate rising after that is huge because we have to go into the same environment in which they got themselves into trouble,” he said.

Geoff McDonnell, a diabetic man, was trapped for two days in the Wombeyan Caves in the New South Wales southern highlands. Although an experienced caver, McDonnell went into a remote cave alone on Friday evening to take photographs. At 7:00pm he became trapped after a rock fall. The alarm was raised by other cavers on Saturday morning and he was located at about 9pm on Sunday night by rescue workers. This team was made up of about 30 people, including members of the South Coast Rescue Squad, Binalong Rescue Squad and NSW Police.

Mr McDonnell says the emergency crews saved his life.

He now says his solo caving days are over.

So – back to the subject of insurance. It makes senses doesn’t it? You’re voluntarily participating in an extreme sport – so why take a foolhardy risk by not protecting yourself against an accident… Think of it as an unselfish act. By protecting yourself you are also ensuring that rescue services get paid for the time, effort, and the expertise they give you when coming to your aid.