Unusual travel insurance claims
New Zealand-based Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) has released a list of the most bizarre claims that it has received over the course of this year. Many of the claims involved animals in some form or another.
For example, one customer in Asia who had to drive a bat out of their hotel room with a pillow claimed – successfully – for a rabies shot. Another had his glasses stolen by a monkey at a temple; the monkey subsequently ate them. “I had absolutely no idea monkeys could act like that,” said the man, who was reimbursed for his spectacles.
“After 35 years of operation you might think we’ve heard it all, but we’re still surprised by some of the claims we receive each year,” said Chris White, Chief Executive of SCTI. “While the vast majority of claims are for common illnesses or lost or damaged personal possessions, this list shows how travellers can end up in all sorts of unexpected situations.. Although you can never fully predict what may happen overseas, we recommend Kiwi tourists research their destinations to better understand what they may come across in their travels.”
Other claims in SCTI’s list include a customer whose rental car was severely damaged when they hit a deer while driving in Europe; a customer claiming for personal liability after they injured themselves in the Pacific, requiring a wheelchair, and then fell into a swimming pool, damaging the wheelchair beyond repair; and a woman whose mobile phone was broken when her baby threw it out of the window of a moving car.