Insurance is very important when travelling or enjoying your sport in case of any unforeseen accidents resulting in injury or damage. Your insurance will be there to cover any medical costs abroad, flying you home, any lost equipment or luggage, pay out any legal expenses should you be found negligent in your actions and even pay out if you are unable to work following an injury sustained. It is important to understand fully the terms of your insurance to make sure all your activities are covered and you do not render your insurance invalid. Therefore, we suggest always remembering the three R’s of buying insurance.
Research
It is important to know what type of insurance you need and make sure you are covered for the necessities. If you are travelling, then you will need to make sure the policy covers you for the area you are visiting (often insurance companies will have exclusions to some countries). You will also need to keep an eye on the FCDO (Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office) website to ensure the region you are travelling to is safe to do so. Often insurance policies will not cover you if the FCDO has advised against travel to this area. When travelling for sport, insurance companies will often not include cover for this in their general travel insurance. It is advisable to take out a specialist policy such as those offered by SportsCover Direct to ensure your sport and activity is fully covered should you get injured and need assistance abroad.
Read
When you are taking out your insurance make sure you read the questions carefully and supply any additional information they ask for. It is important to make sure you give the correct information as this may affect the type of insurance you need and the price you pay. For example, if you have any medical conditions it is important to declare them and give as much detail as possible to ensure your insurance is valid and you are clear about what you and aren’t covered for. Once you have filled in all your details it is advisable to check them over again to be doubly sure everything is accurate.
Report
It is essential to inform your insurance company if there any changes to your details or circumstance in the duration of the cover. This is to make sure your policy is still valid for all the activities you wish to do – It may be a change of circumstance may mean a higher premium will need to be paid to keep your cover. Also with single trip travel insurance it is often only valid for specific dates so if your trip details change you must inform the insurance providers to move your cover dates.
We hope these 3 R’s will help you to keep your insurance relevant and valid whether using it for travel, personal accident or any other type of insurance you may need to purchase. Hopefully you will never have to make a claim but it always better to be safe in the knowledge that your insurance policy is working for you should you find yourself in a difficult position.