Travel Insurance claim is denied - is this right?

F

fender

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I purchased annual travel insurance in June through a broker. I asked if it would cover our return/cancellation due to ill health/death of my elderly father. I was verbally told that it would. I did not receive a copy of the terms of insurance until I put in the claim.

Before I was due to travel in August my father became ill and subsequently passed away. On contacting the insurance company I was told my claim would not be settled as my father was over 75 and residing in a nursing home. The amount being claimed is €550.

They agree that I did ask the question but that I should have told them his age and that he was in a nursing home. I believe that the onus was on them to ask me the question.

Do I have a case here? If so should I contact the Insurance Ombudsman?
 
I have heard of a few people being denied travel insurance claims. The policies are often loaded with small print giving the insurance companies plenty of excuses not to pay up!
 
As I have posted many many times, get all details in writing when the money is handed over. You should still get a copy of the Policy document NOW to check the policy details.

Sorry for your loss anyway.
 
Fender:

Do you know the name of the person in the company with whom you agreed the detail?

The onus is on the insured (you) to provide material facts - but it appears that you did. The insurance company doesn't have to ask any relevant questions.

However, they agree that you asked the relevant question.

Whether or not your late elderly father died in a nursing home or at home is in my opinion irrelevant. You provided detail that he was elderly and you were concerned that he could possibly die and that this would impact on your flight arrangements.

Ask about the delay in providing the terms of the insurance policy.

Pursue this.

Condolences.

Marion
 
Sorry to be blunt: did your father die from a condition that was existing -or ,rather, known to be existing - at the time of taking the policy.

If yes, then all insurance policies would disallow payment.

I've sold thousands of such polciies. can't say i recall the age of a parent being asked (silly question really because many travellers over,say, 40 would have parents over 75).
However, every policy I sold did mention pre-exisitng conditions.
That means if your father had a bad heart and died from a heart attack then you can't claim.

I suspect the loss adjustors are claiming that your not mentioning his age and residence was "a material fact" which ,on any type of policy it is up to the policy holder to declare. Whether or not it really was a material fact I doubt.
The only material fact in my opinion was his state of health at the time .

If he was in reasonable health for his age then I'd fight them. A doctors cert may be required.
 
id definitely get the policy booklet and read it. old age is no reason to disallow a claim. i worked in a claims dept for years.
if your father died of a condition you couldn't have known about then the claim will be paid. a letter from his gp should suffice along with the death cert
sorry for your loss
 
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