Why you should take travel insurance out when going skiing or snowboarding this winter
In these times of austerity we are all cutting back and holidays for many are now a luxury. We look to save where we can, whether this is cutting back on life’s luxuries or looking for bargains.
With the ski season firmly upon us, those looking for sun, snow and slopes, whether abroad or a little closer to home, will need to think carefully about which travel insurance policy to take out. Many leave buying travel insurance to the last minute, or forget about it completely, but just how important is it to our holiday plans?
Insurance can be a useful tool in many situations. If you become ill before you travel, your insurance should be able to help recover the costs of your holiday or rearrange it for another time. Insurance can help to pay for a lost or stolen suitcase, or items damaged in transit. If your ski pass has been lost or stolen your insurance may help you pay for another pass.
However it is the question of medical costs which can be the most significant reason to take out travel insurance, especially when going skiing or snowboarding this season.
Thankfully skiing and snowboarding injuries are relatively low. On average 2 out of every 1000 people are injured skiing on the slopes every day, and 3-5 out of every 1000 people are injured snowboarding every day. However, if the unimaginable happens and you are injured whilst skiing how would you pay for the medical treatment you required?
Emergency medical treatment is extremely expensive. Cover for medical treatment in the majority of Winter Sports Insurance can be up to £10,000,000. The high amounts of cover provided are done so for very good reasons.
We all know medical treatment isn’t cheap and although we don’t want to contemplate spending our holidays in a hospital or seeing our loved ones injured through an unforeseeable accident, it is important to prepare for the unexpected.
If you are unfortunate enough to suffer an injury, then depending on the type of accident that has happened the severity of the injury you may sustain may differ. Accidents involving the failure of ski bindings for example can result in damage to the knees and back, whereas high impact accidents involving other skiers or obstacles on the slopes can give rise to significant upper body and head injuries.
Accidents involving other skiers or snowboarders can be catastrophic. Skiers can easily reach speeds of up to 30mph. Therefore injuries can be substantial - from broken bones, chest or head injuries, or even paralysis. Sadly a number of British skiers lose their lives on the slopes of Europe and North America each year.
The cost of treating these injuries is extensive and often your travel arrangements home will need to be changed to ensure you can get back safely. All of this comes at a cost. Without your insurers footing this bill, you may have to look at other investments such as savings or your family home to pay for these expenses.
Accidents happen and with all the best intentions in the world, you may not be able to avoid causing an accident. If you do and the other person is injured, you may find yourself subject to legal proceedings. This can be an extremely stressful and expensive time. If the injured party is successful in their claim against you, you may find yourself paying thousands of pounds in compensation, in addition to the injured person’s legal fees and your own legal fees. Where you have what is known as public liability cover through your insurance policy these expenses will usually be covered by your insurance company. Knowing you have insurance to cover these expenses and the reassurance that you do not have to find the money elsewhere can ease the stress of any legal proceedings.
Travel Insurance is just one way we can help to protect our future and ensure if disaster strikes we are not on our own.
So if you are thinking about not taking out travel insurance this winter, we would urge you to think again, as it may cost you more than you expect.
At Stones, we help you if you are injured in a skiing or snowboarding accident that is the result of another party’s negligence. We help to get you compensation for the injuries that you sustained but also money for the expenses that you have incurred. If you are severely injured in an accident and you are unable to work for a long period of time we can help you claim for any loss of earnings you have incurred. If a family member is seriously injured and they are unable to look after themselves then you may also be to claim for the cost of caring for that person
At Stones, we know how important your Winter Skiing holidays are and we want to ensure you get the most out of your travel insurance this winter. So we suggest the following:
• Get Insurance!
• Read the policy including the small print!
• Take the policy with you – you will need it or details of it with you if you have an accident.
• Check that your insurance policy will cover you for the activities you want to take part in, especially where you plan to go off piste skiing, snowboarding, sledging, or tobogganing.
• If you have annual insurance from your bank, check whether you need to pay an additional premium to be covered for winter sports.
• If you are travelling for the entire ski season and will be abroad for more than 30 days ensure your policy will cover you for a longer period.
• Read the FIS Rules on conduct on the slopes (www.fis-ski.com) and stick to them.
• Check your equipment carefully before going out on the slopes.
• Most importantly… Enjoy yourself, but stay safe.
contact us now
- Exeter 01392 666777
- Okehampton 01837 650200
- Online Enquiry Form
