Making an Insurance Claim When You Lose Your Travel Documents as Explained by Bill Voss Attorney at Law

Making an Insurance Claim When You Lose Your Travel Documents

You plan your grand vacation for several months. You place all your airline and hotel reservations. You pay the non-refundable deposit down payments. You buy your vacation clothes. You are done packing and you are ready to go. But because you were too engrossed with all the preparations, coupled with the excitement and anxiety you were feeling, you forgot about the most important things you need for your trip – your travel documents. You have searched everywhere for your passport and the visa that comes with it but you can’t seem to find it. Then you are overcome with the harrowing feeling that you might have to say goodbye to all the money you spent for your tickets and accommodations.

Do not worry because not all is lost. While you may not be able to get your travel documents back and you may not be compensated for the stress you underwent, you may be assuaged by an insurance coverage.

Yes, the loss of your travel documents can be covered by insurance. You just need to make sure that you are prepared for this eventuality before it even happens to you. Read on to learn more about this type of insurance:

Check your existing travel insurance policy to check if it covers the loss of your travel documents. Read the terms of your policy. If such loss is covered, then you are safe.
 
If your current travel policy does not cover loss of travel documents, contact your insurance company to know what you can do about this. Ask if you can upgrade your existing coverage or if you need to get a separate coverage to protect you in case your travel documents get lost.

As they say, prevention is better than cure. Make sure to keep your travel documents properly so you do not lose them and you do not need to worry about getting compensated for such loss. Keep them hidden from plain view. Always know where you keep them – in your luggage or in a hotel safe – and check them from time to time.

In the unfortunate event that you lose your travel documents, make sure to report the loss to the appropriate authorities as soon as possible. This can increase your chances of recovering them. Your insurance company may also require this for your claim to prosper so it can verify your claim. Note reporting deadlines under your policy. You do not want your claim to be rejected simply because you were a day late in reporting them to the authorities. Get a copy of the police report or any similar document to support your claim.

You should file your claim with your insurance company promptly and within the period specified in your policy.

This insurance will compensate you for up to 100% of your prepaid and non-refundable travel costs when you are unable to start your trip due to a lost or stolen visa or passport.