Allianz insurance detail results in Perth man Christopher Desmond being trapped in Romania after horror crash

A Perth man who has been travelling around the world on his motorbike for years was blindsided by his insurance company after a debilitating road crash. On July 15, Christopher Desmond, 72, was riding through Romania on his motorbike when tragedy struck. “One minute I was riding along a country road and the next minute I woke up in an ambulance,” Mr Desmond said. “I was driven by the ambulance to a point where I was picked up by an air ambulance and taken to Brasov Hospital. “We are waiting to receive a police report to find out what actually happened.” Mr Desmond broke bones in his feet, hands, leg and spine — he has since undergone six surgeries. The adventurous retiree, whose daughters dubbed him a stickler for fine print, was shocked to learn his Allianz travel insurance policy did not cover his accident because the motorbike he was riding had an engine displacement of more than 200 cubic centimetres. According to the WA Department of Transport, motorcycles with an engine displacement between 125cc to 250cc are classified as learner motorcycles and motorcycles with engines above 650cc are considered larger motorcycles. Mr Desmond’s Suzuki motorcycle has an engine displacement of 650cc. Allianz said they will not be offering Mr Desmond any financial support, leaving him to pay mounting medical costs. A spokesperson for the insurance company said this incident was a reminder for all their customers to read the terms and conditions of their policies. “In order to help ensure our customers have the protection they need, we emphasise the importance of reviewing the terms and conditions of the cover which is clearly outlined within the Policy Information Booklet,” they said. “In relation to motorcycle engine sizes, it is common for other insurers to limit their cover to an engine size between 125cc and 250cc, or charge more to cover larger engines and have additional requirements.” Mr Desmond told The West he would have happily paid more or switched insurance companies if he had known he was not covered. “Allianz needs to stop hiding behind fine print and be honest with their advertising,” he said. “They say they cover motorcycles, most people consider motorcycles to be something over 200cc, anything below would be a moped. “(I) should be covered fully.... I will be disputing this as soon as I am back home.” The Allianz spokesperson would not confirm why this detail could only be found in the fine print and did not answer when asked if they intended to conceal it from their customers. Mr Desmond’s daughters are devastated that their father could not access an emergency evacuation flight to be with family during this difficult time. “Dad is one of the strongest and most capable people I know,” they said. “Dad lost his leg in a work train accident when he was 23 years old, nothing phases Dad, he is really tough when it comes to sickness and injuries and rarely complains about anything. “Dad is really obsessive about details, always telling us to do our research and read the fine print, almost to a point it gets annoying, which is why the insurance thing is so odd that he didn’t know about it. “If he was covered, the insurance could organise someone to escort Dad home and he could potentially be home sooner with a medivac flight, without it, I will have to fly to Romania when he is fit to fly to help him get back. “The insurance are only providing non-financial assistance which... really limits our options because of the costs involved.” The 72-year-old has been ticking countries off his bucket list since 2008 and is excited to continue on his motorcycle tour as soon as possible. “It has always been my dream to ride a motorcycle around the world,” Mr Desmond said. “I like seeing new things everyday. Experiencing new sights, new cultures, meeting new people and expanding my horizons.”