An Australian family has been stuck with nearly $400,000 in medical fees after travel insurance refused to cover the cost of their son’s motorcycle accident in Bali.
Adelaide local Blake Gibbs was holidaying in Indonesia when he was thrown from his motorbike into a cement wall after missing a right turn on Indonesia’s Lembongan Island.
He slipped into a coma after suffering multiple skull fractures and traumatic damage to his brain.
Gibbs was then flown home from Bali’s International Medical Centre following emergency surgery while still in a life-threatening condition.
Mother Rosslyn Gibbs was shocked to learn the $200,000 process was not covered by her son’s travel insurance, prompting a warning to always read the fine print.
“They tell you [to] get insurance, get insurance, so you do and you expect that insurance to actually cover you and it doesn’t,” she told 9News.
“I had to sign that I would be responsible for the bills if they say no.”
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Gibbs’ travel insurance required an additional $7 plan to cover scooter or motorbike coverage, which was detailed in the fine print – meaning coverage for any accidents involving a scooter or motorbike was not included.
The family are hoping that their crowdfunding campaign will help them pay the $370,000 medical bill.
Gibbs remains in intensive care at Adelaide Royal Hospital and is expected to start rehabilitation once he is well enough.
His recovery is expected to take several months.
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