Basketball Ireland Injuries

enaeknala1 · 26-02-2015 8:54pm #1

I recently suffered an injury while playing with my club, I tore my cruciate ligament (ACL). Its quite a serious injury which requires surgery that is very costly. I went through the relevant agencies regarding my insurance and today found out that my expenses are only covered upto €1000 with an excess of €50 so essentially the most I can claim is €950. This I think is an absolute joke.

I have played basketball under basketball Ireland since I was approximetely 7 years old. I was a member of the national team when I was u15 and u16 which as you can imagine was a costly process. Being from west Cork didn't help as 95% of the time we trained in Dublin. For the very rare "home" training that was staged it still meant a 120mile round trip for me. These are just a few of the small things over the last 15 years since being involved in basketball and basketball Ireland. I now feel very left down by basketball Ireland who will not cover the price of an operation for me.

I was told today that my injury was not consider "serious" so that is why there is a limit of €1,000. To me, if I don't get this surgery its the end of my sporting days and at 22 saying that this is not serious to somebody with a love for sport I find it hard to believe.

I feel like I have been left in the wilderness by basketball Ireland and I'm just wondering if there is anybody out there who may have gone through something similar or if anyone has any advice for me?

Thank you for reading

For Forks Sake · 26-02-2015 9:23pm

I'd be the last person to defend BI, but what has this got to do with them?

Each club is responsible for arranging their own cover for their players. If you feel their cover is inadequate, take it up with them and see if they want to make provision towards your surgery. Alternatively, if you have private health insurance, explore your options that route, that's what it's for.

enaeknala1 · 26-02-2015 11:08pm

For Forks Sake wrote: »

I'd be the last person to defend BI, but what has this got to do with them?

Each club is responsible for arranging their own cover for their players. If you feel their cover is inadequate, take it up with them and see if they want to make provision towards your surgery. Alternatively, if you have private health insurance, explore your options that route, that's what it's for.

Not exactly,

Basketball Ireland are insured with O Driscoll o Neil insurance brokers.. When you register with basketball Ireland you are insured with them. Granted maybe I should have researched the cover in further detail but it wasn't something that played on my mind, seeing serious injury was covered seemed enough for me but evidently not.

For Forks Sake · 26-02-2015 11:19pm

enaeknala1 wrote: »

Not exactly,

Basketball Ireland are insured with O Driscoll o Neil insurance brokers.. When you register with basketball Ireland you are insured with them. Granted maybe I should have researched the cover in further detail but it wasn't something that played on my mind, seeing serious injury was covered seemed enough for me but evidently not.

You were injured playing for your club, it's the clubs insurance that's liable, not BI.

enaeknala1 · 27-02-2015 12:13am

For Forks Sake wrote: »

You were injured playing for your club, it's the clubs insurance that's liable, not BI.

Playing for my club who play under basketball Ireland. I have been told I am covered I am just concerned that that whole thing isn't covered?

GoldFour4 · 27-02-2015 11:42am

I think it would be under your clubs insurance scheme which may be under one agreed between Basketball Ireland and their insurers. Your clubs rate is probably determined by previous claims. The excess of €50 is normal is actually a very low excess IMO anyway.

Anyway OP, there's no point in giving any insurance company your life story about playing for Ireland at different stages and travelling great distances. Sob stories never have worked with them and never will.

Maybe you have private health insurance of some sort? ACL surgery would run you about €7000 approximately so explore all your options anyway.

ButtersSuki · 27-02-2015 11:55am

I hear you….but….unfortunately you're never going to get everything covered in any insurance claim so it's a little naive to expect that.

As others have pointed out €50 is an incredibly low excess so that's a start.

One question - do you have your own insurance?

Like you, I played for various National Teams. I also have an injury list the length of my arm and then some. The amount of time I lost playing due to injuries was horrendous when I was younger. I've had very serious injuries to one of my eyes (finger in the eye), broken an eye socket (elbow to the face), lost teeth (elbow again), broken both ankles as well as countless sprains and ligament damage, dislocated a shoulder (drove into the wrong American's hip. To this day the shoulder can sublux at any time, particularly in my sleep which is incredibly painful), broken and horribly dislocated fingers trying to strip the ball as a guy drove past me (a woman in the crowd threw up when she say this one happen), cracked a knee cap (knee on knee collision), tore an ACL (just running up the court) and had to sleep on the floor for 4 years in college due to chronic back pain. There's a certain physio in Ireland who must have built her house off me. My parents paid for everything (insurance wise). I stated playing National League at 16 and stopped playing at 27. I'm 42 now and in pain daily from some of those injuries. But I'd do it all again. Why? For the love of the game.

I'm not trying to sound like a complete d**k when I say it's your choice whether to get the surgery and return to playing. No-one is forcing you to.

enaeknala1 · 27-02-2015 12:06pm

malistheman wrote: »

I think it would be under your clubs insurance scheme which may be under one agreed between Basketball Ireland and their insurers. Your clubs rate is probably determined by previous claims. The excess of €50 is normal is actually a very low excess IMO anyway.

Anyway OP, there's no point in giving any insurance company your life story about playing for Ireland at different stages and travelling great distances. Sob stories never have worked with them and never will.

Maybe you have private health insurance of some sort? ACL surgery would run you about €7000 approximately so explore all your options anyway.

I merely gave a brief back rough of where I was coming from. If i was telling my all my sob stories and travelling etc I would still be typing. Just thought it was appropriate to give a background.

I don't have health insurance unfortunately it was one of the consequences of the recession. Yes I should have kept it but that's easier said than done. I posted on this forum to see if anyone could give me advice. As a full time student I'm financially struggling and hoping for another route

enaeknala1 · 27-02-2015 12:24pm

ButtersSuki wrote: »

I hear you….but….unfortunately you're never going to get everything covered in any insurance claim so it's a little naive to expect that.

As others have pointed out €50 is an incredibly low excess so that's a start.

One question - do you have your own insurance?

Like you, I played for various National Teams. I also have an injury list the length of my arm and then some. The amount of time I lost playing due to injuries was horrendous when I was younger. I've had very serious injuries to one of my eyes (finger in the eye), broken an eye socket (elbow to the face), lost teeth (elbow again), broken both ankles as well as countless sprains and ligament damage, dislocated a shoulder (drove into the wrong American's hip. To this day the shoulder can sublux at any time, particularly in my sleep which is incredibly painful), broken and horribly dislocated fingers trying to strip the ball as a guy drove past me (a woman in the crowd threw up when she say this one happen), cracked a knee cap (knee on knee collision), tore an ACL (just running up the court) and had to sleep on the floor for 4 years in college due to chronic back pain. There's a certain physio in Ireland who must have built her house off me. My parents paid for everything (insurance wise). I stated playing National League at 16 and stopped playing at 27. I'm 42 now and in pain daily from some of those injuries. But I'd do it all again. Why? For the love of the game.

I'm not trying to sound like a complete d**k when I say it's your choice whether to get the surgery and return to playing. No-one is forcing you to.

I can appreciate that the €50 excess is reasonable. That's not the issue here.

No I don't have my own health insurance so that's not an option unfortunately.

I could list out my injury list as long as my arm also but I don't think that's going to get us anywhere. Don't get me wrong I love the game and I have sacrificed loads to play it and wouldn't change it for the world.
There is the daily discomfort and pain which is also an issue and not just the return to playing so essentially the surgury is a must, whether that means getting it now or getting it after trying to build up some savings.
I don't no maybe I am being naive looking to get it covered, I've never really been down the insurance road iv always managed to cover things myself / my parents when I was younger. Just feel like the one time I need to call on it, it's not doing me a massive service

PizzamanIRL · 27-02-2015 4:41pm

Not trying to be smart but there is no loyalty scheme with BI. They won't pay because you played under them for 15 years.

Yes you are automatically insured under their insurance up to a certain amount but you're also supposed to have your own club insurance. I though it was required for all clubs.

For Forks Sake · 27-02-2015 10:59pm

PizzamanIRL wrote: »

Not trying to be smart but there is no loyalty scheme with BI. They won't pay because you played under them for 15 years.

Yes you are automatically insured under their insurance up to a certain amount but you're also supposed to have your own club insurance. I though it was required for all clubs.

It is. I was on a club committee for years. That's the first port of call for any claim while injured playing for the club. OP doesn't seem willing to listen to advice being given.

PizzamanIRL · 28-02-2015 1:39am

For the future:

http://basketballireland.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2705:insurance-programme-for-20142015&catid=36:slideshow-fp&Itemid=98

For Clubs that wish to provide their Members with enhanced limits cover or who wish to avail of Public Liability Insurance Cover (which is mandatory for all Basketball Ireland Registered Clubs) through ODON, please contact ODON directly:

http://basketballireland.ie/images/registration/Insurance/bi_personal_accident_cover_2014.pdf

enaeknala1 · 28-02-2015 11:32am

I'm more than willing to listen. I came here for advice because I don't no myself let that be known.

OK so are my club liable to cover my costs if they don't have extra insurance or is it merely optional?

PizzamanIRL · 28-02-2015 12:38pm

You'd be better off asking your club secretary if the club has insurance like they should. If they didn't take it out then I doubt they would be liable to pay themselves.

GoldFour4 · 28-02-2015 1:16pm

There's no chance they'd be liable unless the court was unsafe or something along those lines. But if you thought that could be the case you'd have to take them to court which would obviously be very messy and involve lots of legal fees etc.

They have the minimum insurance that was required. That's all its liable for.

Tbcld · 22-03-2015 4:15pm

Last year we have a player who suffered same injury. We went to claim of insurance from o'd/o'n they told us max they would give is €2500 and that we have to claim €1000 from BI. When we told them we were not with BI they refused to pay up.
We have since found out that max Personal Insurance we can get covered for is €3500. BI's insurance deal with o'd/o'n is a scam but both parties.
BI dont care about any one, they rake in the money and tell every one "piss off"

enaeknala1 · 23-03-2015 11:23pm

Tbcld wrote: »

Last year we have a player who suffered same injury. We went to claim of insurance from o'd/o'n they told us max they would give is €2500 and that we have to claim €1000 from BI. When we told them we were not with BI they refused to pay up.
We have since found out that max Personal Insurance we can get covered for is €3500. BI's insurance deal with o'd/o'n is a scam but both parties.
BI dont care about any one, they rake in the money and tell every one "piss off"

What was the final result of this if you dont mind me asking? Did ye get any satisfaction whatsoever?

Tbcld · 24-03-2015 2:52pm

Not got good news. Or club insurance only paid €2500 we got nothing from BI. The player had to borrow the rest €3800 from Credit Union and the club will have to pay back over a couple of years. We are only a small club so we do not have a big income. I hope that things work out for you. Your club should have some kind of liability insurance, Either Personal or Public. If not then they should NOT be taking part in any competition. We have had to put in place a waver for players that they will only get covered for injuries based on the Personal insurance policy. Any thing extra must be paid by the players.
Hope this helps and best of luck in the future

Basketball Ireland Injuries

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