Cross-border personal injury and the need for travel insurance

For many residents of Vancouver, trips across the border into Seattle are nothing unusual, and they might not even stop to think about the possibility of being injured in car accidents south of the border. Maybe they feel confident knowing that they have healthcare insurance. However, government insurance will not cover a cross-border personal injury.

British Columbia residents who frequently travel to Washington will only be covered if they purchase travel insurance to pay for unanticipated medical and hospital expenses. Choosing the perfect travel insurance can be tricky because, although the various policies are mostly similar, they all have exclusions that differ from one provider to the next. While most exclude pre-existing conditions, other exclusions may affect travellers in different ways.

Certain activities might be excluded, and maximum coverage for different claims may be limiting. It is also not uncommon for travel insurance to provide coverage for limited periods, and those who do not keep that in mind when they change their travel plans might be caught without coverage. It is crucial for policyholders to be aware of all the limitations and benefits on their chosen travel insurance policies.

Because this is not something that frequent travellers between Vancouver and Seattle want to be concerned about every time they venture across the border, some choose to discuss travel insurance policies with legal counsel. A British Columbia lawyer who has extensive experience in dealing with cases involving cross-border personal injury can provide valuable guidance. He or she can review the fine print on the policies, answer questions and make sure the client understands the details of the coverage and limitations.