How Travel Insurance Helped Traveler in Coma

A Calgary man vacationing in Fountain Hills, Arizona, was on a walk with his wife waiting to cross the street when an SUV jumped the curb and crashed into them and another couple nearby, killing all but him. With a broken neck, head injury and multiple other injuries, he underwent five major surgeries and remained on a ventilator and in a coma as his family made arrangements to transport him home.

The Calgary couple had arranged emergency travel medical coverage and was covered under three different policies, allowing for an air ambulance to fly him home and for his wife’s remains to be transported to the family, according to CTV Calgary.

Pam Murray, a travel insurance expert, told the Calgary TV station that she recommends having travel medical insurance and leaving the insurance company’s name and your policy number with a family member ahead of your trip.

A Common Mistake

Failing to buy travel insurance, however, is a common mistake that travelers make, said Christopher Elliott, an author and travel writer who runs a consumer advocate website, Elliott.org, that fields thousands of traveler complaints.

People tend to be optimistic about their travel plans, thinking their connections will go fine and the vacation will be great. But when they end up losing everything, these rage-filled travelers call local media or contact his consumer advocate website to express a sense of being wronged — for instances such as cancelled flights or an illness that caused trip cancellation. But often the airline or resort won’t refund the trip.

“In cases like this, that’s what travel insurance is for,” Elliott said.

Avoiding the Mistake

Elliott estimates that half the complaints he and his staff review could have been avoided if the consumer simply had purchased travel insurance. 

Travel experts and consumer advocates such as Elliott recommend that you read the fine print on policies. But the travel insurance experts at Travel Insurance Center know the fine print so you don’t have to read it all. They can recommend a policy that will provide the travel protection to cover your concerns.

When you book your next trip, call Travel Insurance Center at 1-866-979-6753 to speak to a travel insurance expert, or submit your information online and they’ll respond with their recommendation.