Meet Nathan | Snowboarding concussion story

Dec 5
4
 min read
Last updated: 
December 5, 2023
Snowboarder sitting on the snow

Nathan was pumped to head to New Zealand for his first snowboarding trip. There was a little trepidation among the excitement, so he got Flip Active for peace of mind. Thank goodness, because he wiped out on a beginner slope and got a mild snowboarding concussion. Read on to hear Nathan’s story and learn how having Flip helped Nathan’s recovery.

Why Nathan got Flip.

‘I hadn’t been to the snow before, so I thought it might be a good idea to look into accident insurance,’ says Nathan. ‘It’s pretty common to get injured doing snowsports. I compared a few rates, and Flip’s price looked good. Most importantly, it covered me in New Zealand while snowboarding, which I thought was the most crucial.’

How he felt having Flip.

On arriving in Cardrona, Nathan was glad he’d signed up for a week’s cover. ‘When I was there, it was more top of mind that getting hurt was possible,’ he says. ‘It was good peace of mind to have Flip. Like a safeguard because you never know what might happen.’

Nathan’s snowboarding accident.

Nathan was having a blast trying to master some basic snowboarding skills when he crashed and knocked his head on the snow. He didn’t feel right, so he headed to the on-mountain hospital emergency department. The doctor diagnosed him with a mild concussion. ‘I was there for a while and don’t remember much. The report was pretty funny, though. I was making no sense.’

Recovering from snowboarding concussion.

Concussions from snowboarding can be serious, but Nathan was lucky. He was sore for a few days and fully recovered in two weeks. ‘At the time, it was a bit rough,’ he recalls. ‘I couldn’t look at screens and I had headaches and neck soreness for a while, but I'm okay now.’

The claims process.

Nathan was surprised at how easy and fast the claims process was. ‘It was sorted in a day or so. Super quick and easy,’ he says. ‘Anything insurance-related is normally arduous, so this was much quicker than I expected.’

Flip’s value for money.

‘The cover only cost $25 for the week, and I got a payout of $200. It covered the bill from the on-mountain hospital with a little left over, so it took away any financial stress. If I had ongoing neck issues, I might have had to go to physiotherapy, and I could have got extra for that. The payouts seem fair to me.’

Nathan’s final thoughts on Flip.

’It did exactly what it was supposed to do. I’d buy Flip again for my next snowboarding adventure, for sure.’

Get cash payouts for eligible claims with Flip

Flip Active pays cash for accidental injuries of certain severities. Nathan received $200 for his concussion injury because:

  • He was injured in an accident: if Nathan had fainted, he wouldn’t have been covered because his injury would have been caused by a medical incident rather than an accident.
  • His activity was covered: Flip Active covers most activities, including extreme adventure sports like snowboarding on or off-piste.
  • He had cover when he got injured: Nathan had bought Flip Active before his accident and the cover was active at the time of his injury.
  • He was in a covered location: Flip Active covers injuries in Australia and NZ.
  • His injury was of a certain severity: Nathan could prove that his Accidental Injury was of a severity that required urgent treatment in a hospital emergency department, which entitled him to a $200 payout. If his neck soreness had persisted and a doctor confirmed his injury required physiotherapy, he would have received an extra $150 if he needed two sessions and another $150 if he needed four sessions. 

Concussions are not something to take lightly, and it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of concussion and take care of yourself if you get one. 

But life is for living, and here at Flip, we want to inspire you to enjoy every moment. Explore our website to learn more about how Flip’s pay-as-you-go cover can protect you from the financial impact of accidental injury. Then get out there and enjoy your adventures knowing you’re protected for a range of injuries if something goes wrong.

WHAT FLIP COVERS

A snapshot of Australian injuries in Financial Year 2020

90%

of Aussies did some exercise at least once
team sport being Soccer followed by AFL & Rugby

1.75

million
injuries 

were estimated

52,300

sport injuries were serious
enough to require a
hospital stay

29%

were cycling injuries
(up by 18%)

Double

injuries in men
than women

15-24

years
highest decade of
injury

1/2

of main injuries were a
fracture, followed by soft
tissue injuries
The true cost:

$29.8

billion
paid by Aussies for
out-of-pocket* healthcare
costs


*not covered by Medicare or private health insurance
Note: All dates unless
otherwise stated refer to
Financial Year 2019-2020
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Sports injury hospitalisations in
Australia, 2019–20
Stuart Babbage and Dr. Dana Hutchins for PwC, Australia’s out-of-pocket healthcare problem
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That’s why we created Flip
Personal accidental injury cover from $7 for a single day
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You should consider whether Flip Insurance is appropriate for you. It’s important to read our Product Disclosure Statement and Financial Services Guide and Target Market Determination before signing up, too. Issued by HCF Life.

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Tell me more about Flip? 

Drop us your email and we’ll tell you about the latest ways Flip is helping people do more of what they love.

Privacy: Flip collects your personal information that you provide in this form for the purpose of providing you with information about Flip products, services and promotions. If you don’t provide your email address, Flip won’t be able to contact you about these matters. How Flip collects, uses, discloses (including overseas) and keeps and secures personal information, how to request access to and correction of your personal information, how to complain about a privacy breach and how this is handled, and how to opt out of direct marketing, is explained in the Flip privacy policy.
Thank you, your submission has been received!
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