Skiing, Alcohol and Insurance !

Interesting article in The Times today "Insurers get tough on ski claims if there is any alcohol involved" (behind a pay wall so can't give link).
Some scary stories about people not having medical expenses covered because they had had a drink, but little to show if the skiers were paralytic, tipsy or had had half of beer.
The insurers are saying - confused.com "drinking on the slopes is not covered under any circumstances", and -"If a person has been drinking, claims are rejected outright" (Esure)followed by "my advice would be, if you're going out, then don't drink at all". There is also talk of hangovers and morning afters meaning insurance invalid!
Aviva has what I think is a more balanced view of "exclude any claim as a result of being under the influence or effect of alcohol" - "this is intended to mean when a person is either drunk or has a lack of judgement or control over his or her actions".
The article finishes with "you get what you pay for", similarly with off-piste cover (which is mentioned).
Sounds to me like the cheap insurers are simply using every possible word in their policies to not pay out. They do talk of no limit set to alcohol for skiing, which they take as any alcohol means no pay out.
The better policies (and I checked mine) seem to be like Aviva quoted above, a sensible amount is fine, but don't get pissed and ski!
Interestingly boarding is not mentioned in this article :roll:

Andy, I think that the writer will have interpreted "winter sports" as "skiing" ~ a common fault. - )
My exclusions include "the direct or indirect effect of you using alchohol"

My exclusions also say "directly or indirectly from using alcohol or drugs" which I take to mean if you're obvioulsy wasted. My understanding would be if you're completely pissed this would appear on the medical notes and the insurerers would have reason to not pay out. If you've just had one beer who knows.

Interestingly last year I did an experiment. I found myself often falling over in the afternoon. I put this down to my own tiredness and the deteriorating condition of the piste. Mrs Smoothie thought it might be my lunchtime beer so I switched to hot chocs. I didn't fall over once for the rest of the week.

Steve

Morning drink ~ hot chocolate
Lunchtime ~ Johannisbeere, normally pur, sometimes gespritze.
Either 4.30pm last mountain stop or 5.00pm finish, gluewein.
I don't think this would be an issue in a courtroom.
I don't think about it now, but when I lived there for the seasons, I drank milk, lunchtime and 5.00pm. It was cheap, and I had no spare money.

Dave Mac wrote:Morning drink ~ hot chocolate
Lunchtime ~ Johannisbeere, normally pur, sometimes gespritze.
Either 4.30pm last mountain stop or 5.00pm finish, gluewein.
I don't think this would be an issue in a courtroom.

You are making an assumption here, as no acceptable alcohol ml level is issued by your Insurer in your Policy.

bandit wrote:You are making an assumption here, as no acceptable alcohol ml level is issued by your Insurer in your Policy.

Bandit's right. Insurance company's will use any excuse not to pay out and they could easily say that the 2 or 3 units in a Gluewein is enough to make you unsafe on skis.

I guess you have to ask yourself is that beer worth the five grand it could cost to cart you off the mountain with a broken whatever.

Best thing is to have a couple of beers then you won't care.

It's one of these arguable cases. Historically the drink-driving limit was set at a level beleow where the stats suggested that judgment was likely to be impaired for the average person. (which is why the arguments for reducing the drink-drive levels are not based on fact).

Insurance companies, naurally like to minimise their chances of paying out. If it came to a court case an English court is likely to use the already accepted level of the drink-drive limit for travel insurers who have an exclusion on alcohol related injuries. Intoxication levels are rather difficult to prove other than by blood or breath testing - not something that an orthopedic surgeon is likely to test whilst treating you for a broken wrist. If you are brough in unconscious then I guess alcohol levels may well be checked to distinuish between the possibilities.

In the end insurance premiums are affected by claims - not many of us want to pay extra so that someone else can ski whilst bladdered.

I can't remember the last time i skiied without having some amount of alcohol in my system...think the last time i must have been about 15 years old.....