Bites and blisters: Cover-More’s weirdest travel insurance claims of 2018

One of the best and worst things about travelling is that you never know what could happen. There’s the chance to discover your new favourite part of the world and then there’s the chance that an annoying blister winds up costing you $20,000 (seriously).

Travel insurer, Cover-More, has done some digging and has unearthed the most common and unusual travel insurance claims of 2018.

According to the data, being denied from boarding a flight was the fastest-growing claim, rising by a massive 350% from last year.

The number of insurance claims made as a result of missing a connecting flight doubled this year, followed by stolen or damaged rental cars (up 75%) and delays (up 56%).

Illness came in fifth with a claims increase of 19%, while claims related to cancellations remained the same.

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“It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to things like medical cover, missed connections and holiday cancellations which can be extremely costly for travellers who are adequately covered for these unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances,” said Cover-More Executive General Manager of Digital and Direct, Glenn Broadhurst.

And with the rising number of Aussies choosing to hit the high seas for their holiday, new types of claims have resulted, like ‘cabin confinement’ - referring to cruise passengers having to stay in their cabin due to illness, causing them to miss ports and made amendments to their travel schedule.

The weird and the wacky

But what’s a holiday without some drama?

One of the more unusual claims involved a traveller whose luggage was delayed by an airline but only claimed for the cost of their razor, as they were attending a nudist camp and hadn’t packed any clothes.

In another case, a traveller in New York was bitten by a squirrel while they were trying to photograph it, leaving them with a $3,000 medical bill.

A husband and wife in Samoa had an unfortunate experience at the Malua Turtle Feeding Pool in Upolu. The wife was feeding the turtle when it bit her hand and dragged her into the water and in an attempt to help, the husband fell in headfirst.

But one of the worst involved a poor traveller who got hit with a painful blister after exploring a city by foot.

While every traveller is bound to feel the sting of a blister every now and then, in the case of the unfortunate traveller, the blister became infected, leaving him with a limp and a whopping $20,000 medical bill.

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If you’re planning on taking a trip in the new year, then it might be time to start comparing travel insurance policies. Our travel insurance comparison tool can help you find the right policy that suits your travel needs.