Devastated we might have to cancel Disney

[Nicnic]

First of all i just want to say that of course I'm glad my DH is alive.

My DH fell off a roof at work on Tuesday and has broken both his heels. He had surgery yesterday on the really bad foot which is totally shattered and it's been pinned back together, the other has a clean break through it.

Here is the bad news, really bad news and really really bad news. His recovery could be 6 months, we've now got no income and Disney could be off! We're due to go 24th October staying BC.

I am devastated as you can imagine but lucky as his injury could have been a lot worse, spine, pelvis and I need to remind myself of this.

Our options are limited as unfortunately DH has just gone self employed a few weeks ago, he has no insurance and its Sod's law that in 27 years of employment in a similar job he's never even had a day off sick or broken any bones! So with no income I feel we will need to use our Disney savings for bills and probably not be able to make up the remainder we need. Next hurdle is we don't have travel insurance, which is my fault as I usually take it out last min and never think about having to cancel due to medical reasons, which i should having kids! but I never imagined he would ever have an accident like this. Then as we've booked flights with Virgin and hotel with Disney, the flights have been paid in full and probably won't get much back if we cancel. I have sent a cancellation request for medical reasons to VA and waiting to hear back. We could try and amend to May next year and pay the fees and difference if this is an option but the hotel is £1100 more to start with! We could reduce to 10 nights to make it the same price and stay off site for the other 4.

I'm just so annoyed with myself and the situation i don't know what to do. DH feels terrible for putting us in this situation but I have to keep telling him its ok its an accident and we will get throught it. We stand to lose our flight money £1800 if virgin cannot offer any refund and £200 hotel deposit. The hotel is due 29th Aug so we have time to decide but the flights are just coming out for May. Plus we have a holiday booked for Aug next year with our friends and kids which we were really looking forward to but if we move Disney to May I don't think we can do Aug too!

If we do make it for October I don't know how DH will cope with all the walking if he can at all and can I cope pushing him in a wheelchair!, I don't want to spend all this money and not fully enjoy it but I also don't want to loose the money!!

It's all up in the air until he comes home and we see how his recovery will be Ive no idea, he's just been told could be 6 months, we will just have to wait and see.

I just had to post as I'm so upset and the kids are asking if we're still going and it breaks my heart. All the planning I've put into this trip and we were all so looking forward to it, but DH is alive and its only money!!!

Has anyone ever had any experience with refunds from virgin for medical, when I submitted the form it asked me to upload a file which I imagine would be doctor/ hospital letters.

Thanks for 'listening' X

 

[bex7583]

Oh no, I really feel for your situation .not sure if you have seen on my other posts I had a accident that need in a horrific leg fracture back in feb and had all the same worries .

We were due to travel in August and I booked way in advance flight only and sometime between booking and my injury our annual travel insurance had run out.

Thomas cook who we booked our flights with were very helpful they first upgraded our seats on our August dates to give me extra leg room as I was planning on going even with my leg in external fixation .then the week after they arranged this my son broke his foot in 3 places at school do I then caved in and decided 2of us with injurys and in wheelchairs was a bit too much for even a crazy fool like me and Thomas cook canceled and refunded me in a gift voucher form. I had been prepared to loose the £1700 we had paid for the flights but they were fantastic. So don't give up hope of them helping or finding a solution.

My dh is also self employed and I had just started a new job so am getting ssp. He usually works away but as I spent a month in hospitalhe had no choice but to take time off, even though he is back now he is doing very reduced hours . I rang round non essentials sky package etc and explained and canceled any bits I could.

Our kids never knew about the trip it was to be a surprise so we have not had to deal with them feeling like they r missing out on the holiday.

Has he got casts on both feet then? Can you hold off until he has had a few fracture clinic appointments incase he recovers quicker than expected?? It could have been so much worse though, he was very lucky.

Good luck and feel free to pm me, I have been through every emotional roller coaster imaginable these last few months xx

 

[bex7583]

Oh and head over to the disability board they have a huge info on all the ride access in Disney it really does make doing in in a wheelchair sound very doable if you want to look at that option .

 

[Nicnic]

Thank you so much for your message. Yes I've been following and when I read it i though oh my goodness I would be devastated if that was me. And here I am!. How are you now? And your son? I'm glad your getting to go and October is a lovely time that's why we go then.

Yes he has casts on both legs from his knees to toes.

I'm going to try and call virgin atlantic today. Never had time this week by the time I get in from hospital I just want to crash.

I onky work 3 days a week and can do extra but only for the next month. I've been told I can go on his ESA claim which is the equivalent to SSP for self employed people so I need to look into that when he's home.

I know I have to be patient but I just want it sorted and want to know the outcome. I don't even know how long it takes for these things to heal and then there's the physio after!!

Thomas cook sound like they have been great. I'm not keeping my hopes up for VA. you had no insurance either and they gave a refund? I would settle for that. Did you have to supply doctors letters? I'm asking DH to get something from the hospital.

Will keep you posted on what happens.

Thanks again. X

 

[Tony Toon]

I'm afraid I can't offer any advice. We had to cancel our annual Disney trip this year as a result of DH's ill health however hadn't booked any flights and so just lost our £100 deposit. Sending lots of pixie dust in the hope that everything pans out well in the end.

Mrs TT

 

[saintrob]

Sorry to hear about your DH's accident. I can't offer any help about insurance etc but I broke my foot out in Florida a couple of years back. We'd done Disney but I had a fall on the first day of our cruise and was in plaster from the knee downwards. My DH and DS had to push me in a wheelchair for a week and although we managed I didn't enjoy the cruise as much as I would have done normally. I found it a struggle just to do simple things which I normally take for granted. VA were brilliant on the flight home - we'd booked PE seats and they made sure that I had the bulk head seats and arranged for transport to the gate etc.

I hope that you manage to get sorted out and can get your holiday sorted.

 

[dixonsontour]

Disney will be fine to move your trip or if you cancel you will just lose the deposit. We moved an Oct 2015 reservation to Oct 2016 no problem.

Flights, I'd speak to Virgin and go from there.

You haven't got hol insurance through a bank account by any chance have you?

Sounds very stressful. Hope your DH feels better soon.

 

[Nicnic]

DH came home last night and is in a lot of pain but glad he's home. I need to call everyone tomorrow and see what I can do.

Does anyone know if I can claim via my credit card company as I paid with Barclaycard?

Thanks x

 

[Wakey]

Hi Sorry to hear about this, Oscalsis fractures are nasty, hopefully he will recover fine. He will probably spend time in a Beckham Boot (as they are now known) after being removed from plaster. Can easily take 6 months I am afraid and I don't want to worry you but climbing ladders etc can be difficult afterwards.
As to claiming on credit card- not normally, unless there was some type of insurance.
Did you have travel insurance? That would normally cover it.
If Virgin don't refund I think you may be able to possibly sell on, and transfer the names.
As to your husband's accident - how did he fall off the roof? Was he working entirely on his own, or was he sub contracting to someone else or on a site?
If he was working for someone else (as self employed) or subcontracting, or on a larger site, he may well have a claim against the principal contractor, his supervisors etc. Basically on roof work falling off should not be possible if the work is being done properly and safely. Just because he is technically self employed doesn't mean someone else is not responsible. However, if it was his job and he was in charge, he wouldn't have any claim. So if he was working on a larger site, or working or sub contracting to anyone else, you need to see a lawyer.
Hope this helps, very sorry to hear of your trip problems.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

I really hope Virgin can help you out. So sorry to hear about your husband, my DH is also Self employed and that would be my worst nightmare

I hope he's feeling ok and wish him a speedy recovery

 

[Gari14]

So sorry to hear the bad news regarding your DH and of course your trip to Disney. Fingers crossed Virgin Atlantic can help you out in some way. Keep us all posted and hopefully a happy ending comes out of all of this!

 

[Nicnic]

Hi Sorry to hear about this, Oscalsis fractures are nasty, hopefully he will recover fine. He will probably spend time in a Beckham Boot (as they are now known) after being removed from plaster. Can easily take 6 months I am afraid and I don't want to worry you but climbing ladders etc can be difficult afterwards.
As to claiming on credit card- not normally, unless there was some type of insurance.
Did you have travel insurance? That would normally cover it.
If Virgin don't refund I think you may be able to possibly sell on, and transfer the names.
As to your husband's accident - how did he fall off the roof? Was he working entirely on his own, or was he sub contracting to someone else or on a site?
If he was working for someone else (as self employed) or subcontracting, or on a larger site, he may well have a claim against the principal contractor, his supervisors etc. Basically on roof work falling off should not be possible if the work is being done properly and safely. Just because he is technically self employed doesn't mean someone else is not responsible. However, if it was his job and he was in charge, he wouldn't have any claim. So if he was working on a larger site, or working or sub contracting to anyone else, you need to see a lawyer.
Hope this helps, very sorry to hear of your trip problems.

Thanks for your reply.

We don't have travel insurance, my fault!!

He has just gone self employed as a sub contractor for a well know UK window fitting company. They give him the work and pay his taxes. They are not obliged to offer him work and he is not obliged to take it. As with holidays and sick pay there is none.

He was at a job with his work mate, DH was on a flat roof taking the old window out, his mate was at the bottom of the ladder and DH was passing the window down to him, say 10 foot. It started to slip as he was leaning over the edge and he tried to keep hold of it so it didn't fall on the other guy but it pulled him over and he fell feet first. 'Luckily' he bent his knees as he fell and rolled to the ground. This is how it was his heels that broke.

I don't known if scaffolding should have been up, there is rumours it should have been but I don't know if there is a claim. Apparently head office are worried he will out a claim in so that sort of tells me they were at fault!? But they've said (from another source) that if he does claim then they won't offer him a job again when he's better!!

Any advice accepted. Thanks X

 

[Gari14]

I don't known if scaffolding should have been up, there is rumours it should have been but I don't know if there is a claim. Apparently head office are worried he will out a claim in so that sort of tells me they were at fault!? But they've said (from another source) that if he does claim then they won't offer him a job again when he's better!!

Any advice accepted. Thanks X

Thats a tricky situation for yourself and your DH and you shouldn't be put in if head office did actually say that regarding not having a job if he puts in a claim. Workers are meant to be protected when it comes to this sort of thing and for a head office to say something like that is disgraceful and unlawful.

 

[Wakey]

Go get yourself a good lawyer asap. If your lawyer doesn't know what Lane v Shire Roofing is about when you ask them go to another.

Thanks for your reply.

We don't have travel insurance, my fault!!

He has just gone self employed as a sub contractor for a well know UK window fitting company. They give him the work and pay his taxes. They are not obliged to offer him work and he is not obliged to take it. As with holidays and sick pay there is none.

He was at a job with his work mate, DH was on a flat roof taking the old window out, his mate was at the bottom of the ladder and DH was passing the window down to him, say 10 foot. It started to slip as he was leaning over the edge and he tried to keep hold of it so it didn't fall on the other guy but it pulled him over and he fell feet first. 'Luckily' he bent his knees as he fell and rolled to the ground. This is how it was his heels that broke.

I don't known if scaffolding should have been up, there is rumours it should have been but I don't know if there is a claim. Apparently head office are worried he will out a claim in so that sort of tells me they were at fault!? But they've said (from another source) that if he does claim then they won't offer him a job again when he's better!!

Any advice accepted. Thanks X

 

[bex7583]

Oh what a nightmare,still you must be glad he's home. Are they non weight bearing casts??

Yes Thomas cook were great with us first they per booked us extra leg seats for no charge on our original dates then when my son had his accident we just decided to cut our looses with aug and change the whole thing. Yes also we was uninsured again my fault ,our annual policy had expired in the gap between booking the flight and my accident. Thomas cook gave me full credit note refund as I told them we had no intention of cancelling . Then the same week we got the flights rebooked for just £79 more than the original ones. Hopefully virgin will be equally as helpful,sometimes a bit of a moan on Facebook page can help. I had not been able to get thru to Thomas cook for weeks so wrote on fb and then had the lady from customer care call me. She has rang again since I rebooked and booked us the seats no extra charge then booked in wheelchair etc.

I know it's probably a bit late now but my dh is self employed and has his public liability and also an income protection insurance. It's hard to imagine situations such as this until they happen!!!

Also if the hospital have not gave u wheelchair and you feel it may help the British Red Cross do them on short term loan for a refundable deposit/donation

 

[bex7583]

My son has had his cast changed for a lightweight one that he is able to bear weight on and went back to school last week. I had my monthly X-rays and one of my worse breaks is not healed so now have 4 week until next X-ray , then if it's looking better at that appointment they will start loosening the frame before surgery to remove it ,so we would have been getting super near our August dates, I'm really glad we did change them now!!!


What is your dh thinking about doing it in a wheelchair??? Or with limited mobility?? Is 6 month the possible time with the casts on or more total recovery?

 

[Nicnic]

Thanks again guys for your replies.

He's none weight bearing on both but gets himself to the bathroom. Typical man won't listen but he has his pride too!! He's got an appointment in 2 weeks for x ray staples out I think. OT have provided a wheelchair and transfer board, a comode and we've a bed downstairs. There coming out this week to measure for ramps so he can get outside as the nurse said it's part of his recovery to get vitamin D. Plenty of that in Disney I said!!! Didn't go down well!

As he's on a zero hour contact there not obliged to give him work as a sub contractor so they could just keep saying every day that there's no work!! It's tricky as we could do with the money if he won the case but he really wants to go back and that's the long term way he's thinking.

I need to call virgin back tomorrow. Can you believe that their refund claims dept only open 9-12!!! So it's a quick call on my 15 min break!!

Will keep you posted. X

 

[Gari14]

Thanks again guys for your replies.

He's none weight bearing on both but gets himself to the bathroom. Typical man won't listen but he has his pride too!! He's got an appointment in 2 weeks for x ray staples out I think. OT have provided a wheelchair and transfer board, a comode and we've a bed downstairs. There coming out this week to measure for ramps so he can get outside as the nurse said it's part of his recovery to get vitamin D. Plenty of that in Disney I said!!! Didn't go down well!

As he's on a zero hour contact there not obliged to give him work as a sub contractor so they could just keep saying every day that there's no work!! It's tricky as we could do with the money if he won the case but he really wants to go back and that's the long term way he's thinking.

I need to call virgin back tomorrow. Can you believe that their refund claims dept only open 9-12!!! So it's a quick call on my 15 min break!!

Will keep you posted. X

I can totally see why your husband is thinking long term and wants to do it that way rather than putting in a claim. I just hate the fact that the company he works for has gone about it in the way they have. Thats awful. All the best to him and we all hope he has a speedy recovery.

9-12!! Thats ridiculous!

 

[bex7583]

I think the fact his contractor is so worried suggests they may be liable in some way, however I totally get your reluctance. I had lots of faults in my ambulance care and as yet done nothing about it I feel I just want the whole thing behind me and the money is still not going to take me back to where I was before the accident.

You have a few year timeframe on been able to make a claim so I would just focus on recovering,appointments and the practicalities of getting thru the next few week!

Jeepers!! 2 non weight bearing casts must be hard work!! That will be nice for him to get out of the house for a bit, they told me the same about the vitamin D ,bones broken in summer heal faster than winter breaks I was told.

Good luck with getting a solution from virgin, hopefully I won't be the only one limping round Disney xx

 

[Nicnic]

Spoke to virgin and they have my claim request but I need to wait for it via email. The girl I spoke to who rang through to claims as they done take calls from the public!! Was really nice. She went through my options and said I wouldn't get a refund unless he was hospitalised over the dates we were going, I said I could arrange that lol. !!
She said the Base fare would be lost and get the taxes back. The flights were quite cheap to start with so theres probably more tax than fare. £600 lost i think she said. She also said I can amend and as I had a miles plus money fare it was only £50pp. Plus the additional in the cost is higher. I can either amend to a fight that's out now, so may 2017 and so on as the dats go or if I wanted to I have till 20th Dec this year to amend so I could get oct/Nov next year. They will put a note in the booking to say we are a no show but keep the full value as a credit on the account. So that's looking hopeful. I'll bet tho she got it wrong and it won't work out like that!!!
Need to speak to DH and see when he wants to go. I see the Disney offer ends 7th July tho. Do you think that will go down to £100 voucher and free dining. Or will I still get what I had booked this year for next year if the offers end??!! Will give them a call too!

Thanks x