Speaker 1 (00:00):
Molly,

Speaker 2 (00:00):
Go the Aussie cheek.

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Mm.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Well, for many it is the boring part of booking a holiday, but travel insurance could be the most important thing you pay for. And now there’s a fresh push for holidaymakers to check the fine print amid a spate of Aussies being injured while overseas.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
There are growing concerns too many travelers assume they’re guaranteed protection in instances where they’re not. So what do you need to know to make sure you are properly covered before you take off? To learn more, we’re joined by Peter Carter, travel and consumer injury compensation lawyer, live in Brisbane. You are the expert. So why is it so important to read the fine print of your travel insurance?

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Good morning. Look, the reason is that there are plenty of exclusions in travel insurance policies, plenty of things that the insurer doesn’t want to pay for. So you need to ensure that your activities on that holiday are covered. So if you decide that you want to go on a motorcycle tour while you’re away, you need to check that it might not be covered. So go back to the insurer, call them up and say, “Can I pay for additional cover?”

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, because a lot of motorbike trips, you have to have had a license in Australia for five years and all that sort of thing. So what are the common reasons an insurer rejects people?

Speaker 3 (01:14):
Well, one of the biggest issues these days is alcohol. The policy will say that if the consumption of alcohol or being affected by alcohol has contributed to the accident, we don’t have to pay. So that’s a real big one. Some policies are worse than that. They say that even if you’re affected by alcohol, that we won’t pay. So that could mean that even if you are run down through no fault of your own on the road, the insurance company gets off.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
What, for any alcohol in your system?

Speaker 3 (01:47):
If you’re affected by alcohol, yes. And they rely on bartender accounts, they rely on what your credit card says you spent at the bar, those sort of things. So remember the insurer’s job is to deny claims. So, be very, very careful.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, we’re talking about that. How they quantify actually whether you are drunk or not, or had alcohol in your system, et cetera. So that makes a lot of sense. We’ve been seeing lately a number of boat capsizes in Bali, particularly with Aussies on board. Would travel insurance cover something like that, or obviously the change of scheduling?

Speaker 3 (02:27):
Most policies will, yes. Ferry tours, ferry crossings are covered. You do need a particular type of cover for cruises. But those types of incidents would generally be covered unless they’re an adventure boat situation when an exclusion may apply. Remember these policies vary from one to the other. So, look around, do your homework and choose the right policy for you.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yep. Ask a lot of questions. Okay. Thank you very much, Peter Carter there.