UPDATE: |Pub landlord hit with £60k bill after becoming paralysed on Benidorm holiday News

His family are in a battle with their insurers

A pub owner who became paralysed after collapsing during a meal in Benidorm has been stung with a £60,000 medical bill.

Robert Atkinson, 67, was on holiday with his wife Carol, 64, when his legs gave way during the meal. The next morning, he woke up unable to move.

Robert underwent surgery at hospital in Spain and his family say he is now keen to get home.

But they have been left with a whopping bill for his treatment after their travel insurance company, Zurich, declined to cover the cost.

His daughter, Amanda Liddle, claims the issue revolves around circumstances her parents were unaware of, Teesside Live reports.

She claims the insurer is denying payment because her father was unknowingly taken to a private hospital, had not disclosed all of his medication and had alcohol in his system when he was admitted to hospital.

Zurich denies alcohol consumption is a factor in its decision, but insists ‘crucial medical information was not disclosed’ when Robert – who operates The King William pub in Acomb, York – purchased his cover.

Amanda is urging people to be ‘more aware’ and ‘vigilant’ when purchasing holiday insurance packages.

She said: “This situation has just made everything 100 times worse. You never expect to go on holiday and fall ill – you expect to be looked after and not caught out for clauses you didn’t know about.”

Robert was enjoying a glass of red wine with his meal at the popular tourist spot with Carol before his legs suddenly gave way. The pub landlord managed to get himself to bed with the aid of a mobility scooter and Carol’s assistance, but he awoke the next day to find himself paralysed from the waist down.

Robert was taken to a nearby hospital, where medical professionals discovered a small tumour in his lower back that had compromised his spine, resulting in a collapsed vertebra and the loss of use of his legs. The grandfather underwent urgent spinal surgery.

However, the following day, the couple received devastating news that Zurich, to which Robert pays an annual premium, would not be covering the costs of the treatment he had received.

Amanda said: “My mum was in absolute shock when he was being taken to hospital and she had plenty of other things on her mind other than which one he was being taken to. It’s unfair to expect her to know which hospitals were private and which weren’t – she can’t speak the language and has been using a translation app to speak to the nurses.”

Explaining the situation with not updating his recent medical history, she claims: “They expected him to have included any medication he had taken in the past year which included simple stuff like paracetamol and ibuprofen. It is really frustrating as I don’t think many people, including us, realised the importance of such small details.”

Amanda says Rob has lodged a formal complaint against the insurer, hoping to secure some financial assistance for his ongoing medical expenses. And in an effort to alleviate the mounting costs, Amanda has set up a GoFundMe, and revealed Rob’s favourite rugby team Acorn has contributed a substantial amount to the cause.

Plans are underway to host an Easter event at Rob’s pub this Easter weekend, with the goal of raising additional funds for him. Amanda says her dad is in a “lot of pain”, is feeling “frustrated and upset”, and just wants to get home.

Rob is currently waiting for the all-clear so he can travel home via a private medical transfer as he is unable to travel back via a commercial flight. The proposed route might involve an ambulance ride spanning over 1,000 miles, followed by a sea crossing via The Channel if a private aircraft isn’t available.

Amanda added: “We just need him back in the UK so he can be treated properly and so we can all understand what is going on. We haven’t been told anything really about his tumour yet. Once he is home then we can all start to recover.”

A Zurich spokesperson said: “We are aware of Mr. Atkinson’s claim and are sorry to hear about his medical situation following his fall in Benidorm. As an insurance provider, we always ask for and rely on customers providing accurate information.

“In this instance, crucial medical information was not disclosed at the time of purchasing the policy resulting in Mr Atkinson being significantly underinsured. Had accurate information been provided when taking out the policy, Mr Atkinson would have been offered a different policy with more appropriate cover.

“We have not declined the claim based on alcohol consumption, and we are providing support within the scope of the purchased insurance coverage.”