Don't believe in travel insurance? Here are some of the experiences of travellers who never expected to make a claim. However, these are the clever people who took out travel insurance before they left and are very glad they did.
Mountain bike accident
I was out mountain biking in the elements… when a tree got in my way. On impact, the handle bars of my bike twisted, bluntly jutting into my ribs before I went flying. I was in a lot of pain but there was no external bruising. I figured that even if I had broken a rib, there was nothing much anyone could do, so I didn’t seek medical attention. Two weeks later, though, I was still in just as much pain as when the accident had happened — and my internal organs felt painful, too. When I started having muscle spasms near my ribs I started to worry that something might be wrong, so I went to a nearby hospital. After initial concern that I had damaged my spleen, I was told I had multiple fractures in my ribs.
Result: Hospital medical care including CAT scan and chest X-ray. Canadian in the USA
Slippery when wet
While showering one day on vacation, I slipped and fell from the bathtub. Although at first the pain was minor, after a few days passed the pain was so bad I was unable to move my back. I checked into the hospital, had x-rays taken, met with a physiotherapist and underwent treatment.
Result: consultation, pathology, x-rays and physiotherapy. American in Australia.
Dengue Fever
I was in the middle of a trip to Bolivia when I got this massive headache and my body felt like it was freezing even though it was hot outside. I began to shiver uncontrollably, and my chattering teeth almost caused me to bite my tongue off. I went to the local hospital where they easily identified that I had Dengue Fever and a temperature of 40-41 Celsius.
Result: Hospital treatment and flights home. Australian in Bolivia.