My son Blake Gibb left a $370,000 bill in Bali due to a $7 mistake – don’t let this happen
A mother has issued a chilling warning after her son was hit with a $370,000 bill over a $7 blunder in Bali.
Blake Gibb was on holiday with his friends when he was thrown off his motorcycle into a concrete wall on the Indonesian island of Lembongan after missing a right-hand turn.
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The 30-year-old man from Adelaide was riding a scooter when he came out of a bend and crashed into a concrete wall.
Blake suffered multiple skull fractures and was transported to the International Medical Center in Bali, where he underwent emergency life-saving surgery and fell into a coma.
The 30-year-old was later taken to a hospital in Adelaide in serious condition.
But just when the Gibb family thought the holiday nightmare was over, they were hit with a whopping $370,000 medical bill.
All because Blake didn’t tick the box for $7 motorcycle insurance on his travel insurance.
“His friends took him to a medical center and they called us at 1 a.m. and asked for $4,000 because you have to pay up front,” mother Rosslyn Gibb said.
“They had to transport him by boat from Lombongan Island to Bali … and then he was given medical attention from Bali to Adelaide.”
The mother recalls signing a document saying the family would pay the hospital fees if the insurance claim failed, but she thought nothing of it at the time.
But soon after returning to Australia, Freely, which is owned by the CoverMore group, told the family they would not be paying for Blake’s medical needs.
“When you find yourself in such an emergency, you will do anything you want,” Ms Gibb said.
“I had no intention of staying in Bali and hoping. They said to us, “We told the Medivac people they have to bring him back to Australia because he’s not going to make it.”
The family have now turned to GoFundMe in a desperate effort to raise money to cover $370,000 in medical bills.
Meanwhile, Ms Gibb is urging others to be sure to get travel insurance and to check it carefully to make sure it covers whatever they may need.
“Please kindly check your insurance papers thoroughly before leaving the country,” she said.
“He could have easily paid for it since it was only a few dollars.”
Blake just had facial reconstruction surgery on Tuesday and remains in intensive care at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
He should be transferred to another ward in a few weeks before facing months of rehabilitation.
His mother remains confident that he will make a full recovery.
“He does little things every day, like he can squeeze your hand or give you a thumbs-up,” she explained.
“He whispers but we can’t always hear it and his right side works so it’s just an uphill battle. One step at a time.”
In a statement, a spokesman for Freely said the company was “delighted that we were able to help Blake Gibb return to Australia after his serious motorcycle accident in Bali.” And we wish him the best possible recovery, News.com.au reported.
“Due to our data protection commitment, Freely is unable to provide further disclosures on the individual or specific details of Blake’s case.
“It is common practice in Australia to take out motorcycle/moped insurance as a ‘supplement’ to travel insurance.
Freely’s motorcycle/moped add-on or ‘boost’ can easily be added to your travel insurance when you first take out it or at any time during your trip before you hop on a motorcycle or moped.
“This is clearly explained on our website www.freely.me and in the Freely app. When travelers to Bali take out our policy, they will be shown information specifically asking if they want to add motorcycle/moped insurance.”
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