Anonymous Donor Gives Stranded New Zealander Ticket Home: Phuket

[webfact]

Anonymous donor gives stranded Kiwi ticket home

Phuket Gazette

Sean, 27, shows the tube still connected to his chest after his lung collapsed for the second time. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Sean Kenzie was given a wheelchair after arriving at Phuket International Airport for his flight home. Photo: Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai

PHUKET: -- Sean Kenzie, the 27-year-old New Zealander stranded and unable to pay his mounting medical bills after a hit-and run-accident, boarded a plane for home today thanks to an anonymous donor who supplied the funds for his flight.

Sean looked a little tired when he arrived at Phuket Airport; he walked straight to the Thai Airways check-in counter to catch his flight home.

“My mother was upset about the [private] hospital kicking me out. She had sent NZ$8,000 [more than 200,000 baht, for medical fees], but they told my mum that it wasn’t enough,” he said.

Sean explained that he still owes the hospital about 500,000 baht (more than NZ$19,000) in expenses.

His insurance refused to pay, claiming that motorbike accidents were not covered under his “premium policy”.

Desperate, Sean’s older brother started a fundraiser on Facebook.

“When I get back New Zealand, I’m going to court with my insurance company. I was supposed to be covered for motorbike [accidents]. I was supposed to be covered for everything. And then, when I had the accident, they told me I wasn’t. They pulled out and I’m left with big bills, huge bills.”

Sean told the Phuket Gazette that “thousands and thousands” of people made donations to the Facebook fund his brother Kane started. One anonymous donor put up all the money necessary for Sean’s flight home.

“I’d like to thank the people of New Zealand. They’re awesome; they got behind me and donated money. I probably would have died here if it wasn’t for them,” Sean said.

He explained that he wired more money to the hospital today, as he was finally allowed to leave Phuket after signing an agreement allowing him 365 days to pay off the remainder of his medical expenses.

The hit-and-run accident left him in a coma with the teeth on his right side smashed out, his jaw broken, both lungs collapsed, a split liver and a knee requiring reconstructive surgery.

“The taxi driver must have hit me pretty hard,” he said.

Rescue workers transferred him to the private hospital for care.

Sean has a vague memory of the incidents proceeding the accident. He was driving back to his hotel when he realized he was heading in the wrong direction, so he pulled over to the side of the road, where he was run down.

He could not remember where exactly he was when the accident occurred.

With two collapsed lungs, Sean awoke with two tubes in his chest. He was told they would be removed within two days, but they stayed in place for almost a month.

“I should have been out of the hospital a week ago. This tube was supposed to come out, but… my lung collapsed again,” he explained yesterday.

“They brought me back down to the surgery room and gave me drugs and put the tube back in. I woke up in the afternoon and they kicked me out,” he said.

“I didn’t know what was going on. I had no idea, no clue. All I knew was that they were kicking me out. Then they brought me here [to an open patient ward Vachira Phuket Hospital].”

After one night, the New Zealand consulate stepped in and had Sean transferred to a private room of the hospital.

Once back in New Zealand, Sean will start down the long path of rehabilitation.

Formerly a roofer in Australia, Sean has been told that he will not be able to return to work for a long time.

“There is no police record, no police have come to see me,” Sean explained to the Gazette. “I’ve been her nearly a month and nobody has come to see [about the accident]. The taxi that hit me should have had their insurance paying for all of this.”

Despite the horrors of Sean’s first trip to the Kingdom, he is determined to return.

“I will return to Thailand as the country still owes me my travelling,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16528.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-07-28

[edwinclapham]

Well it looks as though he thought he had adequate insurance which included MC so fair play to the lad.

It just goes to show how vigilant you have to be with the small print.

Great to see the community spirit and alive and kicking and delighted he is back on his own home turf for further treatment.

What a nightmare!

[simple1]

His insurance contract was with Cover More in Australia therefore under the jurisdiction of the Australian courts, not N.Z.

[edwinclapham]

I hope he manages to successfully sue.

[Schmackos]

A timely warning to read the fine print on Insurance contracts

[simple1]

I hope he manages to successfully sue.

very risky, if he loses the litigation, his legal costs would exceed the amount claimed. Doubt he would get pro bone services for a small claim

[edwinclapham]

I hope he manages to successfully sue.

very risky, if he loses the litigation, his legal costs would exceed the amount claimed. Doubt he would get pro bone services for a small claim

A very close Australian friend of mine with ozzie insurance had a similar happening in Turkey on his MB. It was touch and go for a while health wise and the insurance company held fast on their decision. After much battling, they conceded to repat'ing him back home and they finally came up with the full amount.

I sincerely hope that he manages to succeed, I never give up wherever possible, and certainly not when it comes to Banks & Insurance companies.

[simple1]

I hope he manages to successfully sue.

very risky, if he loses the litigation, his legal costs would exceed the amount claimed. Doubt he would get pro bone services for a small claim

A very close Australian friend of mine with ozzie insurance had a similar happening in Turkey on his MB. It was touch and go for a while health wise and the insurance company held fast on their decision. After much battling, they conceded to repat'ing him back home and they finally came up with the full amount.

I sincerely hope that he manages to succeed, I never give up wherever possible, and certainly not when it comes to Banks & Insurance companies.

Sounds like your friend negotiated and didn't go down the litigation path, is that correct?

EDIT: The evening current affairs programs often take up a cause and sometimes the financial services provider backs off on their policy position due to perceived damage to the brand by way of bad publicity

Edited July 28, 2012 by simple1

[edwinclapham]

I hope he manages to successfully sue.

very risky, if he loses the litigation, his legal costs would exceed the amount claimed. Doubt he would get pro bone services for a small claim

A very close Australian friend of mine with ozzie insurance had a similar happening in Turkey on his MB. It was touch and go for a while health wise and the insurance company held fast on their decision. After much battling, they conceded to repat'ing him back home and they finally came up with the full amount.

I sincerely hope that he manages to succeed, I never give up wherever possible, and certainly not when it comes to Banks & Insurance companies.

Sounds like your friend negotiated and didn't go down the litigation path, is that correct?

EDIT: The evening current affairs programs often take up a cause and sometimes the financial services provider backs off on their policy position due to perceived damage to the brand by way of bad publicity

I do believe that the small print read as follows... if you were only qualified to drive say a 750cc bike in Australia, and incurred an accident on a 1000cc overseas then the insurance was null and void. This he overlooked and naturally the insurance company refused to cough up.

His wife is a nursing sister and she fought it long and hard from Turkey which was no easy task and yes a WA newspaper also took it up on his behalf and the IC came up with the dough.

As a bike rider myself it has taught me to look at the fine print long and hard otherwise it isnt worth the paper..........

[simple1]

I recall in another thread in this forum that the parents admitted their son didn't have a motorbike license, but expected the insurance company should cover all eventualities as requested all encompassing travel insurance. Naivety to the nth degree

[edwinclapham]

I recall in another thread in this forum that the parents admitted their son didn't have a motorbike license, but expected the insurance company should cover all eventualities as requested all encompassing travel insurance. Naivety to the nth degree

Sitting here reading this reminds me of the times my brothers and I have caught motorbike taxis in BKK or Phuket, on occasions with nothing more than a plastic helmet/t shirts/short and thongs ... complete stupidity on our parts... crazy for the next of kin.

Well I wish this lad much luck!

[simple1]

I recall in another thread in this forum that the parents admitted their son didn't have a motorbike license, but expected the insurance company should cover all eventualities as requested all encompassing travel insurance. Naivety to the nth degree

Sitting here reading this reminds me of the times my brothers and I have caught motorbike taxis in BKK or Phuket, on occasions with nothing more than a plastic helmet/t shirts/short and thongs ... complete stupidity on our parts... crazy for the next of kin.

Well I wish this lad much luck!

of course, wish him a speedy recovery

[Hostile17]

oh i saw him at vachira talking randomly to himself outloud with a breathing machine

[chotthee]

Who knows could be from the kind heart Thaksin doing good deed (for a change) on his birthday.

[stevenl]

Who knows could be from the kind heart Thaksin doing good deed (for a change) on his birthday.

No way that would be anonymous.

[EarthAlien]

Great to see the community spirit of fellow NZ (and other) benefactors.

Shame on the Phuket hospital for kicking him out. Just goes to prove that some medicos and hospitals couldn't really give a crap about a persons health or fight for life and that the almighty dollars reigns supreme!

Personally I think the NZ ambassador should have stepped in and represented the interests of this young man,... so shame on the NZ Govt and the Consulate for that,.. self serving sloths. So while you're at it with the insurance company make sure to give the "honorable" NZ consulate to Thailand some curry as well mate!

[Arkady]

“There is no police record, no police have come to see me,” Sean explained to the Gazette. “I’ve been her nearly a month and nobody has come to see [about the accident]. The taxi that hit me should have had their insurance paying for all of this.”

Why aren't we surprised by this?

Anyway, let's hope it serves as a good warning to tourists that renting motor bikes is likely to invalidate their insurance, either because it is genuinely not covered or because the insurance companies will pretend that it was in the dangerous sport category to avoid paying. This must be a common problem because the British ambassador has recently warned about it. When you think about it, it is logical that the insurance premium should be higher for tourists who want to ride motor bikes, given the fact the terrible stats on motor bike deaths and injuries sustained by Thais and foreigners are unfamiliar with Thai roads and driving habits. Personally I think any tourists renting motor bikes or jet skis in Thailand need their heads examining.

Edited July 28, 2012 by Arkady

[Nigel1500]

I sincerely hope Sean makes a full recovery and can put this incident behind him.

If no police have come to see him, and he is well enough to fly, why then didn't he go to the police station and file a report?

Also, congrats to the anonymous benefactor who is paying for his trip home ... if it was me I'd be thanking my mother, father, brother, or sister ... this situation makes me realise how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family. Of course, I'd also have my wife, and in-laws fighting every inch of the way in support of me. I seem to have married into the best Thai family in the world !!!

[Nigel1500]

Well it looks as though he thought he had adequate insurance which included MC so fair play to the lad.

It just goes to show how vigilant you have to be with the small print.

Great to see the community spirit and alive and kicking and delighted he is back on his own home turf for further treatment.

What a nightmare!

Wrong. It was reported in the Australian media that he knew he didn't have motorcycle insurance.

[Nigel1500]

A timely warning to read the fine print on Insurance contracts

If you look at the CoverMore form you will see that the motorcycle question is written in 12pt bold and you must tick one of the two boxes (yes or no) for the policy to be active at all. You can't leave it blank.

If you apply on-line you will find that you can't actually get to the payment section without making the choice about motorcycle cover.

As I mentioned in another thread, it costs about $14 per week to include motorcycle cover.

[brianP]

Those Big Insurance companies spend millions on R&D to figure ways and means to get maximum profits, and fine print is just one of the many ways. Oh they hate bad publicity and are usually quick to settle when this happens. Sean, be as loud and vocal in the media as possible and hope you get better soon, see you in LOS.

[stevenl]

Anyway, let's hope it serves as a good warning to tourists that renting motor bikes is likely to invalidate their insurance, either because it is genuinely not covered or because the insurance companies will pretend that it was in the dangerous sport category to avoid paying.

They can not pretend it was in the dangerous sports category because that category is a list of the sports in that category.

In this case Sean simply was not covered, what is not clear to me is whether he made the mistake or the person that sold him the policy.

[edwinclapham]

Well it looks as though he thought he had adequate insurance which included MC so fair play to the lad.

It just goes to show how vigilant you have to be with the small print.

Great to see the community spirit and alive and kicking and delighted he is back on his own home turf for further treatment.

What a nightmare!

Wrong. It was reported in the Australian media that he knew he didn't have motorcycle insurance.

"His insurance refused to pay, claiming that motorbike accidents were not covered under his “premium policy”."

When I get back New Zealand, I’m going to court with my insurance company. I was supposed to be covered for motorbike [accidents]. I was supposed to be covered for everything. And then, when I had the accident, they told me I wasn’t. They pulled out and I’m left with big bills, huge bills.

I was going by the original post. WRONG!! well it is confusing and I dont search in Australian newspapers for accidents that have happened in Thailand. Mistaken, it could well be, but there is no need for your very curt WRONG! There are ways of responding to a post you know!

[BookMan]

His insurance contract was with Cover More in Australia therefore under the jurisdiction of the Australian courts, not N.Z.

I have had covermore insurance. The woman who offered me the policy at the travel agency (flightcentre) told me it covered everything, including motorcycles. I took a copy of the quote/policy and said I would think about it.

After reading it through that night it was clear it did not cover motorcycle accidents. You had to pay more for that, not much , but a little more. Had I relied on her advice I would not have been covered.

I went online and did a quote with covermore (1 year): online you have to select the motorcycle coverage as optional (and you pay more). It is easy to assume you are covered for this when you are not IMO.

[edwinclapham]

His insurance contract was with Cover More in Australia therefore under the jurisdiction of the Australian courts, not N.Z.

I have had covermore insurance. The woman who offered me the policy at the travel agency (flightcentre) told me it covered everything, including motorcycles. I took a copy of the quote/policy and said I would think about it.

After reading it through that night it was clear it did not cover motorcycle accidents. You had to pay more for that, not much , but a little more. Had I relied on her advice I would not have been covered.a quc

I went online and did a quote with covermore (1 year): online you have to select the motorcycle coverage as optional (and you pay more). It is easy to assume you are covered for this when you are not IMO.

Yes Bookman, a quick easy sale of insurance... and then you are left up sh1t street if there an accident occurs.

I was fully insured when the tsunami struck, it meant bugger all " an act of god"

[BookMan]

A timely warning to read the fine print on Insurance contracts

If you look at the CoverMore form you will see that the motorcycle question is written in 12pt bold and you must tick one of the two boxes (yes or no) for the policy to be active at all. You can't leave it blank.

If you apply on-line you will find that you can't actually get to the payment section without making the choice about motorcycle cover.

As I mentioned in another thread, it costs about $14 per week to include motorcycle cover.

wrong! (just joking )

It cost me $17 for multitrip 1 year insurance. That was 5 trips (max duration 30 days) in 12 months for $17 motorcycle coverage. So, about $1 a week.

Perhaps it is more expensive if you are younger. I am 43.

[BookMan]

His insurance contract was with Cover More in Australia therefore under the jurisdiction of the Australian courts, not N.Z.

I have had covermore insurance. The woman who offered me the policy at the travel agency (flightcentre) told me it covered everything, including motorcycles. I took a copy of the quote/policy and said I would think about it.

After reading it through that night it was clear it did not cover motorcycle accidents. You had to pay more for that, not much , but a little more. Had I relied on her advice I would not have been covered.a quc

I went online and did a quote with covermore (1 year): online you have to select the motorcycle coverage as optional (and you pay more). It is easy to assume you are covered for this when you are not IMO.

Yes Bookman, a quick easy sale of insurance... and then you are left up sh1t street if there an accident occurs.

I was fully insured when the tsunami struck, it meant bugger all " an act of god"

Where were u when the tsunami struck eddie?

[simple1]

His insurance contract was with Cover More in Australia therefore under the jurisdiction of the Australian courts, not N.Z.

I have had covermore insurance. The woman who offered me the policy at the travel agency (flightcentre) told me it covered everything, including motorcycles. I took a copy of the quote/policy and said I would think about it.

After reading it through that night it was clear it did not cover motorcycle accidents. You had to pay more for that, not much , but a little more. Had I relied on her advice I would not have been covered.

I went online and did a quote with covermore (1 year): online you have to select the motorcycle coverage as optional (and you pay more). It is easy to assume you are covered for this when you are not IMO.

Major oops for TravelCentre staff training - so is the agent (TravelCentre) liable under the contract T&C's? I imagine would be extremely difficult to prove in Court. But in the instance of Sean apparently he did not have a motorbike license so irrelevant.

[BookMan]

His insurance contract was with Cover More in Australia therefore under the jurisdiction of the Australian courts, not N.Z.

I have had covermore insurance. The woman who offered me the policy at the travel agency (flightcentre) told me it covered everything, including motorcycles. I took a copy of the quote/policy and said I would think about it.

After reading it through that night it was clear it did not cover motorcycle accidents. You had to pay more for that, not much , but a little more. Had I relied on her advice I would not have been covered.

I went online and did a quote with covermore (1 year): online you have to select the motorcycle coverage as optional (and you pay more). It is easy to assume you are covered for this when you are not IMO.

Major oops for TravelCentre staff training - so is the agent (TravelCentre) liable under the contract T&C's? I imagine would be extremely difficult to prove in Court. But in the instance of Sean apparently he did not have a motorbike license so irrelevant.

I don't know about Sean, but if Thailand does not require a motorcycle specific license (that being a drivers license covers car and bike), or it allows you to drive a motorcycle with an International Drivers Permit (or your own countries DL) he would be covered.

That assumes he had the IDP.

In my case i would have been liable in an accident if I had taken their policy at face value. What they verbally say and what is written are two different things. So whatever I sign for is what i agree to. And fair enough too.

I always read insurance policy fine print.

Edited July 28, 2012 by BookMan

[MyFriend You]

Great to see the community spirit of fellow NZ (and other) benefactors.

Shame on the Phuket hospital for kicking him out. Just goes to prove that some medicos and hospitals couldn't really give a crap about a persons health or fight for life and that the almighty dollars reigns supreme!

Personally I think the NZ ambassador should have stepped in and represented the interests of this young man,... so shame on the NZ Govt and the Consulate for that,.. self serving sloths. So while you're at it with the insurance company make sure to give the "honorable" NZ consulate to Thailand some curry as well mate!

As I was an employee of the US Embassy, I checked out the NZ Embassy website concerning NZ Citizen support - the only thing I could find was: 25-06-12 (UPDATED A MONTH AGO do you it was because of this gentleman's plight???)

Accidents Involving Rented Motorbikes, Vehicles and Jetskis

Was this gentleman required to replace the motorcycle, because certainly it would have been damaged beyond repair (at least to the rental agency) and his cousin sell motorcycles that will replace this one very fine {:>)

New Zealanders visiting Thailand who are involved in motor accidents or who accidentally damage rented motorbikes or other vehicles will have to pay for damages before they can leave the country.