Will Travel Insurance Cover Earthquakes?

With the rising travel awareness, people fly more frequent than in the past. Will Travel Insurance Cover Earthquakes? The insured often asked the agent.  How to claim ?

Earthquake Zone
Earthquake Zone

>The insured should understand the coverage and benefits of their policy before buying an earthquake travel insurance. Besides, emergency medical and medical evacuation benefits, a lot of policies also have 24-hour emergency assistance.

Will Travel Insurance Cover Earthquakes?

If there are travel warnings and yet the insured ignore it and go ahead for the travel plan as scheduled.  The insurer can deny the liability.

 Is It Safe To Travel To Destinations Where Earthquakes Occur?

Major earthquakes occur only a few times a year. It is unlikely to occur during your short day visit. Additionally, it is easier to predict when and where an earthquake is likely to occur with the modern sophisticated technology.

 When You’re Not Covered

  • Travel against warnings: If you intentionally put yourself in danger and travel to a country or region against governmental travel advice. You act as an own insurer. No cover for you for anything that related to travel warning.  For instance, if you traveled to Turkey which is against terrorism warnings.  There is no cover for you.
  • Known events: Once an event is broadcast in the mass media (i.e. big tremors have begun, a snow storm is forecasted or a volcano has erupted).  You wouldn’t be eligible to buy a cover. Insurers will set cut-off dates, for instances, travelers affected by the Nepal earthquake who had purchased cover prior to April 25, 2015,  were eligible to claim. After the 25th, you could not get any cover for the Nepal earthquake event.
  • Insufficient cover: Remember that Basic (or medical only) policies would cover for any medical claims in regards to earthquakes, but would not cover travel delays, lost luggage or trip cancellation as a result of an earthquake.
  • Claim for any reason: There would be no cover if your existing travel plans were not directly affected by the earthquake or if you just had a change about your trip.
  • Accommodation cover: Hotel becomes uninhabitable due to earthquake damage, you can make a claim. You can not make a claim for any hotel, not meeting your expectations. for e.g instead of 5 stars hotel, you are given a 4 stars hotel.

When You Are Covered

When you bought your policy, the earthquake is not a known event, you can claim for

  • Cancellation (before you’ve left): Before departure,  You can claim the benefits when you are forced to cancel the trip.l Also, the full refund of premium if the policy was purchased prior to the cancellation).

Cancellation (when already abroad): Within the earthquake zone you can claim for the transportation cost from an uninhabitable hotel to a new hotel.Flight cancellation, you can claim for any additional flight costs.

Medical costs: The insurer pays for your injury medical expenses.  Earthquake is the directly caused.

Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation: When there is no local treatment available and you need to evacuate to the nearest medical hospital, the insurer pays all the costs including repatriation in the event of your death.

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