Having summed up the insurance event applications filed this summer, BTA Baltic Insurance Company JSC (henceforth referred to as BTA) concludes that, compared to other years, adults have suffered more injuries this summer while tidying up their home vicinities and doing gardening. Compared to previous years, the incidence of such untoward events has increased by 20 %. Similar to previous seasons, children, in their turn, have suffered injuries while enjoying summer recreation activities, including cycling, skate-boarding, or swinging. While enjoying their holidays abroad this season, people have most frequently required medical assistance due to colds, and also in association with various injuries, such as stepping onto a jelly-fish.

Towards the end of this summer, BTA has summed up the insurance indemnity applications received in June, July, and August this year under casualty and travel insurance policies, and the company has concluded that, in most of the cases, the causes of the accidents are careless actions and absent-mindedness, which are typical specifically during the summer season. This season, adults have suffered injuries while tidying up the surroundings of their homes or doing gardening. This summer, BTA has received indemnity applications for injuries suffered, for instance, while sawing logs or branches, and several applications have been received for accidents suffered due to careless handling of lawn mowers. Compared to last summer, the incidence of such untoward events has increased by 20 %.

Just like in previous seasons, children, in their turn, have suffered injuries while doing recreational sports, such as cycling, skateboarding, or swinging on swings. The number of the applications received for injuries suffered by children while doing recreational sports is 55 % of the total number of applications under casualty insurance policies for children. The injuries, such as bruises or scratches, have not been very serious in most of the cases. However, several children have suffered arm bone fractures, concussions of the brain. The number of indemnity applications submitted for casualties suffered by children while playing on bouncy castles or rebounders has decreased by 5 %.

Iveta Rijniece, Director of BTA Baltic Insurance Company Insurance Claims Handling Department: “Looking at the casualties which are most typical during the summer season and which have resulted in personal injuries, it should be highlighted that most of the accidents occur due to carelessness and absent-mindedness of people. A most likely explanation for this is the vacation and off-school season, which is when adults and children enjoy their holiday and often forget about safety precautions. Children are often not only careless, but also audacious while performing various manoeuvres on bicycles or skateboards. A positive tendency is the reduced number of casualties suffered by children while playing on rebounders or bouncy castles. However, this is shadowed by the higher incidence of insurance events involving injuries in children due to falling off skateboards. The summer is not over yet, and people will certainly still try to spend the last weeks of August in the open, doing recreational activities, various vicinity tidying and household chores, and we therefore prompt them to remain alert and not to neglect their own safety and that of others. Considering that many children return to the city during the last weeks of August and the urban traffic becomes more intense, we prompt parents to talk over the safety issues, including traffic regulations, with their children again!”

In foreign tourist resorts in Turkey or Egypt, people have most frequently caught colds, whereas in Bulgaria clients have suffered burns after having stepped onto a jellyfish

In the last few years, the most popular travel destinations among the population of Latvia include the Mediterranean and the countries along the Black Sea, such as Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, and others. The tendency has remained similar this year, and people have chosen these countries as their summer travel destinations. Having summed up the travel insurance claims received this summer, BTA has concluded that, during their holidays in Turkey, Bulgaria, or Greece, people have most frequently caught cold and suffered upper airway infections due to rapid temperature changes caused by the contrasts between the hot weather outside and the cool conditioned air in hotel premises. The incidence of insurance claims for such medical assistance is 60 % of the total number of travel insurance claims.

During their holidays in Greece or other Southern countries, many people (30 % of the received claims) have sought medical assistance for viral gastrointestinal infections. The experience of BTA shows that special attention to the quality of food must be paid in the southern countries where food goes bad rapidly and may cause poisoning. The tourists having opted for “all inclusive” travel packages, in their turn, usually suffer from overeating.

Just like in other years, people have suffered injuries during their summer trips this year while enjoying recreational activities (e.g., falling from a motorcycle, injuries suffered while playing beach volleyball, swimming, etc.)

Several BTA clients have sought medical assistance abroad after various reptile or animal bites. A client in Turkey, for instance, was bitten by a lizard, another client was bitten by a beaver during their stay in the United States, and a woman in Belarus suffered a snake bite. When going on holiday to subtropical regions, one should beware of jellyfish or sand dollars (pansy shells). This summer, several BTA clients have suffered injuries and burns due to stepping onto jellyfish or sand dollars during their holidays in the Bulgarian resorts.

While enjoying the end of this summer, BTA prompts people not to lose vigilance and to take proper safety precautions!

Information prepared by:

Agnese Grīnberga

Head of Public Relations

BTA Baltic Insurance Company JSC

e-mail: agnese.grinberga@bta.lv

Phone: +371 67025661, cellular: +371 27828796