Brit's travel insurance misery as husband fights for life after Zante crash
A Brit has warned fellow holidaymakers of a little known travel insurance clause that could leave people out of pocket – after her husband was left fighting for his life following an overseas motorbike crash.
Mark and Carol Jepson, both 60, found themselves in the "most dreadful situation" after they suffered a catastrophic fall off a rented motorbike in Zante on July 27. Carol said she was left unscathed by the accident, whilst Mark had endured broken ribs and a punctured lung, among other injuries. Luckily the couple, from Castleford, West Yorkshire, were helped by an off-duty medic who happened to drive past.
Carol and Mark were hoping to explore the island (Carol Jepson)
Mark suffered multiple injuries (Carol Jepson)The mum assumed they would be covered for anything needed under their insurance due to the policy being “first class with £15 million cover for medical expenses and repatriation." However, Carol, who had booked insurance with Essential Travel, which is under the trading name Holiday Extras Cover, said the company highlighted that they could only help them if the engine size was 125cc or under.
Speaking about the ordeal, Carol told The Mirror: "We rented a 200cc scooter to explore the many wonderful places on the island. Mark has had a licence to ride motorcycles for over 40 years and is a very experienced rider. It was a freak accident. One minute we were riding along at around 25-30 mph and the next minute the scooter fell to the left and we found ourselves on the ground, skidding along the road. We didn’t hit anything, there was nothing in the road, and no reason for this to happen. It really was bizarre.
The couple were unaware about the insurance engine clause (Carol Jepson)
Mark had a drain fitted to his chest (Carol Jepson)"The young people who were riding on quad bikes ahead of us stopped to offer help and called the emergency services. Mark and I managed to stand up, we were obviously shocked and then Mark said he thought he was going to faint as everything in his vision went white."
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Carol added that two women, a paramedic and a nurse, from the USA, stopped their car after they saw Mark's horrifying injuries. She said: "They took Mark’s pulse and stated there was no time to wait for the ambulance and to get him in the back of their car. They drove at high speed to Zakynthos General Hospital as time was running out and his injuries were life-threatening. Mark was gasping for breath and it transpired that he had multiple fractures of his ribs, a fractured scapula, and a pneumothorax ( collapsed lung )." Mark was then diagnosed with subcutaneous emphysema - which is a type of lung disease where air or gas gets underneath skin tissue.
Carol has been by her husband's side for over two weeks (Carol Jepson)Carol added: "Once in the Emergency Department he had a CT scan and x-rays and a chest drain was inserted due to the pneumothorax. He may need to be transferred to Patras Hospital on the mainland to see a thoracic surgeon and a further operation to insert a drain in his chest. He has now been in hospital for 15 days and it has been a rollercoaster of emotions."
The 60-year-old, from Allerton Bywater, says her husband has been advised to stay in Zante for three weeks. She said medics also advised them to fly back to the UK by air ambulance due to the extent of the injuries and were quoted £40,000 for the transportation. However, to her surprise, Carol said her insurance claim was denied.
The incident took place on July 27 (Carol Jepson)The mum told The Mirror: "To add insult to injury, we now find that our travel insurance claim has been declined by the underwriter due to the fact that the policy only covers motorcycles up to 125cc. We were unaware of this as this information is on page 81 of a 93 page policy document. There is a definite lack of prominence in the policy documentation.
"We now find ourselves with no cover whatsoever for additional accommodation costs, travel costs to visit Mark in hospital, and the total expense of repatriation back to the UK." The couple's son Tom launched a fundraiser to help his parents fund the "extortionate cost." Carol added: "We are overwhelmed with the donations made so far, which currently stands at £16,000. I think people, like us, are horrified at this story." To donate to the fundraiser visit here.
A spokesperson for Holiday Extras told the Mirror: “Whilst we were very sorry to hear of Mr & Mrs Jepson’s accident, our insurers are only able to accept claims that are within the parameters of the policy purchased. Throughout this process the emergency medical team have remained in contact with Mrs Jepson to assist her in making private arrangements, until she confirmed that no further help was needed."
However, Carol denied the statement and said: "From informing me that the underwriter had declined the cover and we were not entitled to any form of payment, they have not been in touch since."
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