A family from West Sussex is warning travellers to carefully check their insurance policies after an error filling in a form left them with an invalid policy and a £100,000 medical bill. Katya Katalinic, 18, from Midhurst, suffered a brain haemorrhage in South Africa in February, having stayed on after a Christmas family holiday to Kenya.
Her parents, Marsha and Roberto Katalinic, had taken out separate insurance for their daughter's extended trip. However, insurer Axa ruled the policy invalid because the trip to South Africa had started from Kenya, not the UK. Mr Katalinic said he had assumed the policy covered journeys starting in the UK, but the terms required the trip to begin and end in the UK.
Miss Katalinic recalled waking up in hospital unable to speak or read. She is now warning others to ensure their insurance is in order. Axa stated that the policy declaration required confirmation that the traveller was 'travelling from and returning to the United Kingdom' and that the trip had not yet started, which was not the case here. The policy was cancelled and the premium refunded.
Which? deputy editor Sam Richardson commented that insurers often hide important information, making it difficult for consumers to understand their policies. He noted that a quarter of claims are not paid, suggesting products could be better designed.
