The family and friends of a young man from New Zealand are working to raise funds to pay for Sean Kenzie’s spiraling medical bills after he was involved in a traffic accident in Phuket.
On June 30th, Mr. Kenzie was riding a motorcycle, a common mode of transportation in the area where he was visiting, when he was hit by another vehicle and suffered a split liver, broken ribs, punctured lungs, and more. He was taken to a local hospital and his immediate injuries were treated.
With his foreign medical bills spiraling higher, the family was horrified to discover that his travel insurance excluded medical expenses that occur from motorcycle accidents. The family reportedly believed that Mr. Kenzie’s travel insurance coverage was ‘full coverage’ and they assumed that meant it would cover everything – even riding a motorbike.
That’s not the way insurance works, however.
No insurance covers everything and all insurance – your home insurance, health insurance, car insurance, life insurance, etc. – has limitations and exclusions that the insured must understand and abide by if their coverage is to be valid. This is also true of travel insurance, which automatically excludes riding motorcycles, scooters, and ATVs, as well as many other activities that are considered ‘high-risk’ by the insurance companies.
See a list of What Travel Insurance Does Not Cover for more details.
At Travel Insurance Review, we are saddened when travelers face disasters like these, and we would like to express our sincere hope for Sean Kenzie’s very best recovery. We would also like to take this opportunity to remind travelers that it’s important to stop and read your travel insurance policy to understand the exclusions.
Sean Kenzie’s family and friends have started a Facebook campaign to raise funds to transport him home and pay for his medical bills. You can check on their progress and contribute at Save Our Mates Life.
