Diver facing £40,000 medical bill
A British scuba diver being treated for decompression sickness abroad is facing a £40,000 bill, because his insurers are refusing to pay for his treatment.
Anthony Allen, from Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, suffered the condition known as the bends while diving in Marsa Alam, Egypt, on Monday.
Egyptian medics say the 68-year-old needs about six hours of treatment each day for at least the next three weeks.
Lloyds TSB say they will not foot the bill as Mr Allen dived too deep.
'Very upsetting'
The insurers said the retired factory manager, who was holidaying alone, went below the 30-metre limit stipulated on his policy.
Mr Allen's sons, 31-year-old Mark and Chris, 26, said they thought that their father, a highly experienced diver, probably did not know about this limit.
They also said doctors had told them their father's illness was caused by dehydration, and not the depth to which he dived.
We are hoping Lloyds TSB have a sense of fairness and compassion
Lorely Burt MP
Mark said: "We are currently trying to get a document from Egypt to give to the insurance company.
"It explains that my father's illness was caused by dehydration. How deep he went is beside the point."
His partner Laura, 31, said: "The trouble with the insurance company is that they said 'no' straight off. It's very upsetting."
Lorely Burt, Liberal Democrat MP for Solihull, said: "He is an experienced diver and I hope they will let fairness, not the small print of the policy, guide their decision.
"We are hoping Lloyds TSB have a sense of fairness and compassion."
Lloyds TSB insurance said in a statement: "The tour company which Mr Allen was diving with has confirmed that he reached a depth of 49.5 metres immediately prior to seeking medical assistance.
"We also have confirmation from doctors treating him that his illness is directly related to him participating in a dive to that depth.
"Therefore we are unable to accept this claim.
"Should any additional medical evidence come to light we would of course reassess that situation."
You do have DAN insurance, right!
Started by
Latitude Adjustment
, Aug 14 2005 11:12 AM
4 replies to this topic
#1
Latitude Adjustment
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 11:12 AM
I, Latitude Adjustment (insert log in name), do hereby swear, (politely), that I shall not hold SingleDivers, (SD), nor any SD poster, (real or imagined), liable, nor shall I seek legal restitution, (real or imagined), for any perceived, (real or imagined), offenses I may incur, (or Incurrrrrrrrrr on talk like a pirate day), that may or may not be posted on this or any SCUBA related board, (real or imagined), by anyone, (real or imagined), anywhere, (real or imagined). Further, I void any right to privacy, (real or imagined), as it may, or may not relate to any posting, (real or imagined), about me, to me, for me, because of me, all about me, my dog, my cat, my bird, my monkey, my family, (real or imagined), my friends, (real or imagined), or my world, (real or imagined).
By all that is wet, I do hereby swear, (politely), and attest, upon pain of never diving again, (real or imagined), that I understand and affirm, that I agree to the above.
_________________________________________(log in name signature)
Signed and Dated
By all that is wet, I do hereby swear, (politely), and attest, upon pain of never diving again, (real or imagined), that I understand and affirm, that I agree to the above.
_________________________________________(log in name signature)
Signed and Dated
#2
David Evans
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 01:41 PM
I agree that DAN insurance is a good idea, and I'm personally a DAN customer, and recommend it to my students.
So having said that...
This guy was diving in excess of 160'. I highly doubt that he'd be having to do that kind of chamber schedule if he was diving to that depth on mix and with a proper deco gas/deco schedule.
IF (*if*) he was diving that depth on air (and assuming he didn't experience some other crisis underwater), I don't blame the insurance company one bit for not paying his claim. He is, after all, a "highly experienced diver", and should have known better.
I don't wanna unfairly vilify this guy, since I don't know the details at all except for what was reported in the article (and I certainly wish him a speedy and complete recovery!!!). But just like with car insurance where reckless drivers cause increased premiums for the safe ones, reckless divers inrease the cost of diving for the rest of us.
At least this is a good reminder to the rest of us to make sure we understand the limits of our insurance coverage!!
-d
So having said that...
This guy was diving in excess of 160'. I highly doubt that he'd be having to do that kind of chamber schedule if he was diving to that depth on mix and with a proper deco gas/deco schedule.
IF (*if*) he was diving that depth on air (and assuming he didn't experience some other crisis underwater), I don't blame the insurance company one bit for not paying his claim. He is, after all, a "highly experienced diver", and should have known better.
I don't wanna unfairly vilify this guy, since I don't know the details at all except for what was reported in the article (and I certainly wish him a speedy and complete recovery!!!). But just like with car insurance where reckless drivers cause increased premiums for the safe ones, reckless divers inrease the cost of diving for the rest of us.
At least this is a good reminder to the rest of us to make sure we understand the limits of our insurance coverage!!
-d
"They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep."
Psalms 107:23-24
Psalms 107:23-24
#3
Latitude Adjustment
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 05:05 PM
I beleive PADI insurance has a 130' limit since that is what they teach but DAN doesn't have a depth limit. Going deeper if you have the training doesn't make you "reckless" and many on this board do/have gone deeper, me included.
Maybe he did know what he was doing but just hadn't been drinking enough, news papers and even the BBC don't always get their facts right. How many times have we read that our scuba tanks contain oxygen? Be safe out there!
Maybe he did know what he was doing but just hadn't been drinking enough, news papers and even the BBC don't always get their facts right. How many times have we read that our scuba tanks contain oxygen? Be safe out there!
I, Latitude Adjustment (insert log in name), do hereby swear, (politely), that I shall not hold SingleDivers, (SD), nor any SD poster, (real or imagined), liable, nor shall I seek legal restitution, (real or imagined), for any perceived, (real or imagined), offenses I may incur, (or Incurrrrrrrrrr on talk like a pirate day), that may or may not be posted on this or any SCUBA related board, (real or imagined), by anyone, (real or imagined), anywhere, (real or imagined). Further, I void any right to privacy, (real or imagined), as it may, or may not relate to any posting, (real or imagined), about me, to me, for me, because of me, all about me, my dog, my cat, my bird, my monkey, my family, (real or imagined), my friends, (real or imagined), or my world, (real or imagined).
By all that is wet, I do hereby swear, (politely), and attest, upon pain of never diving again, (real or imagined), that I understand and affirm, that I agree to the above.
_________________________________________(log in name signature)
Signed and Dated
By all that is wet, I do hereby swear, (politely), and attest, upon pain of never diving again, (real or imagined), that I understand and affirm, that I agree to the above.
_________________________________________(log in name signature)
Signed and Dated
#4
cmt489
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Posted 14 August 2005 - 11:38 PM
I just recently purchased DAN insurance and noted that the "cheapest" coverage did not provide cover for unlimited depths. Accidents happen and sometimes people go below recommended depths. For this reason, I purchased the higher level of DAN insurance just to be safe.
On another note, when I talked to my extended health care provided they advised that they would cover decompression sickness so long as it was not a planned decompression dive (no depth limits were given). I suppose this means that I cam doubling covered but I would rather double up than find out too late that I did not have any cover at all!
On another note, when I talked to my extended health care provided they advised that they would cover decompression sickness so long as it was not a planned decompression dive (no depth limits were given). I suppose this means that I cam doubling covered but I would rather double up than find out too late that I did not have any cover at all!
#5
chinacat46
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Posted 15 August 2005 - 12:34 AM
DAN don't leave home without it!
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