Lewis McClelland: Portsmouth family left with £30,000 to pay in medical bills after near-fatal moped crash in Thailand

Lewis McClelland, 30, was riding a hire moped on February 2 when he collided with a tuk-tuk on the island of Koh Lanta. He had been on holiday with friends and had gone out for breakfast when the crash happened.

He suffered severe injuries, including an open fracture to his leg, broken bones in his wrist and fingers, and deep cuts to his face.

Lewis was first taken to a private hospital in Koh Lanta, where doctors stopped the worst of the bleeding. He was later transferred to Krabi Hospital for emergency surgery to save his left leg, which his family say was nearly severed. Surgeons managed to restore circulation and stabilise the limb using pins and stitches - now, he has an external fixator holding the leg in place.

His mother Liza Taylor, 55, travelled from Portsmouth to Thailand on February 7 after finally locating him 14 hours after the accident.

She said: “It was terrible - the stitches on his face meant he couldn't smile anymore.

“I was told his leg was nearly severed and the doctors managed to save most of it by putting it together with pins and stitches. He has full circulation back into his foot which is great.

“Lewis could potentially be discharged in a few days - but it won't be weeks until I can bring him home.”

With more surgery to place rods and place into his leg - which will stay for the rest of his life - the family now faces mounting medical bills. Liza says costs have already reached around £10,000.

That includes £1,000 for blood tests at the first hospital, £600 for damage to the hire moped and further treatment costs at Krabi Hospital. She estimates that repatriation to the UK could cost between £15,000 and £30,000.

Lewis had purchased an annual multi-trip travel insurance policy in December for £60. But the insurer has declined the claim, saying he did not have the appropriate licence to ride the moped.

Liza has disputed the decision and says the policy should have covered the incident - but a GoFundMe has now also been launched to help her cover the costs. At the time of publication, more than £16,000 has been raised via donations.

She said: “The insurance company aren't taking any responsibility and are exploiting a loophole.

“Because Lewis never was never asked to produce his UK's drivers licence when he hired the moped - it made the insurance invalid.

“Now I need to think about how I'm going to financially come out of this, whilst also focusing on my son's health.

“The support has been overwhelming - people are just genuinely amazing and everyone is writing such lovely comments.

“Lewis is all that I have and I will make sure he returns home soon. I just want this horrible nightmare to end.”

A spokesperson at the insurance company said: “We’re sorry to hear about the injuries Mr McClelland has sustained whilst on holiday.

“Unfortunately, the information provided by Mr McClelland and his family confirms that Mr McClelland did not have the relevant licence for the vehicle they were operating and therefore he was not covered for the injuries sustained in the accident.

“We will continue to provide any assistance we can to support the family as they make arrangements to return to the UK.”

Click here to donate to the family’s GoFundMe campaign.