Winter Sports insurance – have you got the right cover?

The joys of a skiing holiday can turn sour for some travellers who are left with hefty medical bills to pay as a result of being inadequately insured after injuring themselves. The problem lies with the fact that insurance policies often don’t cover variations of standard downhill skiing or snowboarding. It is worth therefore considering specific winter sports insurance.

Many families go on holiday in the belief that their annual travel insurance policy covers them for every eventuality, though this often isn’t the case if winter sports insurance is not specifically covered.

For instance, heli-skiing is sometimes excluded – as is off-piste skiing without a guide – both popular activities, but insurers will not cover medical fees if the activity isn’t specifically included in the claimant’s policy.

While insurance premiums might escalate with the addition of cover for such sporting activities, it is a great deal cheaper than the exorbitant medical fees which are likely to be incurred in the event of an accident.

The consequences of taking to the slopes without any travel cover at all could be even more dire. For example, if a skier injures someone else in, say, the Alps, the claim following the accident will fall on the skier’s household policy if they don’t have appropriate travel insurance in place. Some household policies restrict cover to claims made in specific countries, which could be a problem if the skiing holiday is not in the areas covered by their policy.

Skiing injuries can be horrific, with terrible long-term damage sadly an all-too-common occurrence, in which case the medical bills could be astronomic.

It is also worth bearing in mind that some household insurance policies might not cover children living in shared accommodation away from home, so they must have a policy in their own name.

The most sensible route to take is to talk in detail with your insurance adviser before you travel and be prepared to pay a little more for a watertight winter sports insurance policy than have any cause for regret if the worst comes to the worst.