Enjoy a holiday tipple? Beware - your travel insurance claim could be rejected if you've drunk too much alcohol

If you enjoy a few glasses of wine with dinner, or a cold beer by the swimming pool while on holiday, you will probably want to take note of a clause we've unearthed in the small print of most travel insurance policies.

This is Money spoke to several insurers who told us if holidaymakers are making a claim on their travel insurance, they may be rejected if there is evidence they were drinking excessively.

Most insurers do not state an exact limit on the amount of alcohol allowed but if you've had an accident or something stolen and they think it was because you were drinking too much, the claim could be rejected.

If an accident is caused by excessive alcohol consumption your claim may be rejected 

If an accident is caused by excessive alcohol consumption your claim may be rejected 

Travel insurance is based on risk and when you buy a policy the price you're given will take into account the likelihood of something going wrong.

This includes lots of different factors from the security of the country you're visiting and your own health record to your age and the activities you plan to take part in.

Alcohol is a bit of a grey area for travel insurance. This is because if you've been involved in an accident, for example, because of the amount of alcohol you have drunk, it may be harder to claim on your insurance.

However, while some insurers mention this in their policy documents, generally there's no exact limits given. 

Of course the dangers are often far greater than merely a turned down insurance claim, if something does go wrong.

A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers said: 'As with any insurance, travel insurance customers do have a responsibility not to behave recklessly. 

'No-one is expected to stay sober all the time – insurers know people will likely want to drink alcohol while they're on holiday - but there is a danger of invalidating your cover if you drink so much that it makes you act dangerously or means you are out of control.

'People's tolerance to alcohol varies a great deal so it isn't practical for insurers to suggest specific limits – the important thing is for people to be aware of how much they're consuming and how it might impact their behaviour.

'Insurers do not decline claims lightly. If they believe an excessive amount of alcohol may have caused a particular incident they will gather evidence from other people who were there, and from the medical professionals who dealt with the incident.'

We also asked some of the major insurers where they stand on alcohol.

Tom Bishop, head of travel at Direct Line, said: 'Direct Line's policies contain an exclusion relating to excessive alcohol consumption, but we do not believe it is reasonable for insurers to expect holidaymakers not to drink at all when on holiday. 

'We therefore apply this exclusion in a reasonable and proportionate way, taking into account of the circumstances surrounding each individual case.

'Some insurers think it is helpful to include a blood alcohol level in their policy wording, but as there is no way for a customer to know what their level is or to comprehend what that means in terms of the amount they can drink (and in many countries, spirits are not measured and controlled as they are here), we do not.

Your travel insurance claim could be rejected if you are drinking alcohol excessively 

Your travel insurance claim could be rejected if you are drinking alcohol excessively 

'Our policy wording states, under the general exclusions section and relating to deliberate harm and recklessness, that we won't pay any claim made as a result of you drinking so much that your judgement is seriously affected.'

We also asked Aviva and a spokesperson said: 'For Aviva Travel insurance policy holders we assess each claim (including those involving alcohol) on its own merits. 

GOT AN INSURANCE QUESTION?

Do you have an insurance question you would like to have answered? Contact: rebecca.rutt@thisismoney.co.uk  

'We wouldn't decline a claim simply because the customer had been drinking alcohol. Rather, we'd assess whether or not alcohol was, on the balance of probabilities, the cause of the incident.'

While LV told us 'We don't have a rule on the amount of alcohol someone can consume. We fully appreciate many people on holiday like to have a few drinks. 

'However, we won't pay claims if someone has drunk so much alcohol that their judgement is seriously impaired eg someone thinks they have become Superman and can fly from a balcony.'