Travel Insurance customer reviews

Amanda and Robert

A cycling tour of Italy sees Amanda involved in a serious accident. She fractures her spine, collarbone and four ribs, as well as sustaining internal bleeding and extensive grazing.

Our mission

To verify that Amanda received the best possible medical care after her bike accident in Sicily.

Who did we help?

Amanda, and her partner Robert, who were on a 2-week holiday to Italy.

What was their situation?

Amanda and Robert were on a cycling tour near the Sicilian city of Palermo when Amanda was involved in an accident and was seriously injured.

What happened?

Robert was ahead of Amanda in the group and he received a call to say that Amanda had been in an accident. He immediately turned back and the cyclists who had witnessed the accident called an ambulance, which arrived promptly. After being treated where she had fallen, the ambulance took Amanda to hospital in Palermo.

Amanda sustained some significant injuries. It looked like she had fractured several bones, and had received cuts to her face and arms, along with extensive grazing down the left side of her body. She had also lost a significant amount of blood.

Amanda was admitted to hospital and seen by the hospital's neurosurgeon, plastic surgeon and orthopaedic surgeon over a period of 5 hours. They found that Amanda had fractured her C4 vertebra, collarbone and four ribs. She also had internal bleeding in her head (outside the brain) and a build-up of blood in the pneumothorax region (between the lung and chest wall), which was making breathing difficult.

How did we help?

Robert contacted our medical assistance team on the evening that Amanda was admitted to hospital. He gave us the details of Amanda's situation and we made contact with one of our doctors in Italy. Our Italian doctor called the hospital in Palermo to check on Amanda and review her medical reports to make sure that the treatment recommended for her was appropriate.

We were in regular contact with Robert by phone and email as we monitored Amanda's progress and prepared for them both to make the journey home to Melbourne.

What happened next?

Amanda remained in hospital for a week, and then stayed in Palermo for 2 nights before her and Robert's flight home to Melbourne. They both flew home business class so that Robert could assist Amanda, and so that Amanda could be comfortable throughout their journey.

What was the outcome?

At the time of writing their story, it has been 6 weeks since Amanda's accident. The Italian hospital sent Amanda's medical file to her hospital in Melbourne so that they could continue treatment and monitor her recovery. Amanda is doing well and continues to wear a brace as she recovers from the fractures she sustained in the accident.