People have to take decisions….they
cannot keep telling it is somebody else’s call !! ~ for many computer eye
strain and coffee spillage are the biggest risks …….. there are some others for
whom the spectre of falling from a great height, being crushed under heavy
equipment or bombed are all in a day's work. In cinema, we often see the hero deeply
perspiring, perplexed with the Q of ‘which wire to cut ?’ to defuse a bomb… he
disconnects the red wire and heaves a sigh of relief.
Personal Accident Policies of Insurers
offer compensation in case of death or bodily injury to the insured person,
directly and solely as a result of an accident, by external, visible and
violent means. There are death only cover; coverage for permanent disablements
and temporary total disablements. The proposal would elicit information on
whether the proposer is engaged in Racing on wheels or horseback; big game
hunting; mountaineering; winter sports, skating or ice hockey; ballooning or
polo or sports of similar nature… these are considered higher category of
risks.. !
Skiing is a recreational
activity and competitive sport in which the participant attaches skis to boots
or shoes on the feet and uses them to travel on top of snow. Aside from
recreation and competition, skiing has been used for military purposes and travelling
in areas that experience heavy snowfall.
Michael Schumacher, the ace racing
driver, a seven-time Formula One
World Champion, widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time is
still in trouble. The heroic race ace
suffered ‘catastrophic’ injuries in the accident and is last still fighting for
his life in intensive care despite a scan showing a slight improvement in his
condition. Michael Schumacher’s skiing
accident in Dec 29, 2013, was a result
of “extreme bad luck” and not because he was going too fast, his manager has
claimed. Doctors put the 45-year-old into an induced coma after the accident to reduce brain swelling and give him a better
chance of recovery. Some reports suggest that the attempt to bring him round was called off last
week, leading brain injury experts to fear that Schumacher's chances of making
a full recovery had decreased. Some hazard that the skiing accident may have
been made worse by the camera attached to his helmet at the time of impact. Sad
for his fans and family that he still remains in the same condition with
everyone hoping of improvement.
Away from the ace driver and
the unfortunate accident, here is something
on European travel insurers cracking
down on skiers who have a tipple and then hit the slopes ~ reproduced from Daily
Mail article of Jan 2014
Insurers are cracking down on reckless
behaviour from skiers who ignore warnings on the slopes or fail to wear a
helmet. The terrible head injuries suffered by Formula One ace Michael
Schumacher - who was wearing a helmet - have highlighted the dangers of skiing.
Every year around 10,000 Britons hurt themselves so badly while on winter
sports holidays that they need hospital treatment. Serious head injuries and
deaths are mercifully rare, but broken bones and knee ligament tears are much
more common.
Insurers are clamping down on skiers'
claims where the policyholder has been drinking alcohol ~ and the number of
accidents is climbing as many resorts become more crowded and increasingly
sophisticated equipment means even relative beginners can hit speeds of up to
30mph. Thousands of these winter sports fans face huge bills if they fail to
take proper insurance, or get caught out by small print. While basic medical costs in most European
Union countries are covered by the European Health Insurance Card, this does
not include other popular destinations such as the U.S. Being airlifted, or
treated in a private resort hospital anywhere in the world, will also probably
have to be covered by insurance. Yet one in three skiers takes no cover. And if
you are forced to pay a medical claim from your own pocket, it can be
astronomical.
Even relatively minor injuries such as a
broken ankle can leave you with a £22,000 bill. A knee injury can cost £16,000
to treat once rescue from the slopes is factored in, according to insurer
Aviva. Head injuries make up around a fifth of all accidents - with the cost of
a serious blow as high as £100,000. The bill for being airlifted, or
stretchered off a mountain by rescuers, can be as much as £9,000 in the Swiss
alps. Because of the exorbitant costs, insurers are getting tough. Bob
Atkinson, of website Travelsupermarket.com says: ‘Increasingly insurance
companies are expecting people to follow the rules and regulations. If you fail
to read or ignore clearly laid out conditions in your ski insurance policy, do
not expect them to protect you.’
According to the post - hundreds of deaths
on the slopes each year are linked to alcohol - yet glance at any social media
website and you’ll see dozens of videos of skiers young and old joking about
skiing while intoxicated. Research by insurer MoreThan has found how one in
three skiers have more than seven units of alcohol in their blood - the
equivalent of two large glasses of wine. The drink drive limit for a man is
four units. Many insurers now have exclusions in place that mean they will at
least question a claim if you have alcohol in your blood and will refuse to pay
out if they think you were under the influence. And if a doctor deems alcohol
played a part in your accident, it is highly likely you won’t be covered. Other firms are toughening up on skiers who
hit the slopes without the right equipment.A study last year by John Hopkins
University in the U.S. shows how
helmets cut the risk of serious injury in accidents. Research from insurer
Direct Line found how the head experiences a force of two tonnes in a crash
without a helmet.
Essential Travel is the only UK insurer
which expects customers to wear a helmet. Other firms’ policies are less
clear-cut. Some refuse to pay out if you fail to stick to local rules, such as
in some parts of Canada
which demand you wear a helmet. In Italy , anyone under 14 must wear a
helmet. Other companies are now threatening to throw out claims when the
policy-holder did not have the correct equipment or clothing - so a claim for
hospital costs if you suffered hypothermia would not be covered if you went
onto the slopes without a ski jacket.Experts also warn holidaymakers to beware
of exclusions when skiing off piste - this is excluded by most policies unless
you hire a guide. You may think off piste means skiing in wild untouched areas.
However it can simply mean not being on the official slopes - so if you are
cutting across from one run to another, and get injured, you may not be
covered.
If you ignore weather warnings issued by a
resort before going off piste you may have a claim thrown out. Be wary though
because guidance can be confusing - as often resorts warn that the weather or
snow conditions can be bad, but rarely actually tell you not to ski. Chris
Radford, director of off-piste skiing website Henry’s Avalanche Talk, which
studied ski insurance policies, says: ‘Insurance policies require you to follow
resort advice, but resort advice will rarely tell you not to go out. ‘Instead it is down to you to make the
judgement call depending on how well prepared, knowledgeable and how good a
skier you are. ‘But if your claim is thrown out on the back of that decision,
the consequences can be devastating.’
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
Special acknowledgement : www.dailymail.co.uk/money/holidays/
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