Aussie's $ 62k Bali heartache after a terrible scooter crash

An Australian woman warns passengers to think twice about how she climbed up on a scooter in Bali after suffering terrible injuries in a "impulsive" ride that went wrong.

American worker Amethyst Chrystal, 19, from Broomay, had five facial fractures, a fragmented dorsal, exposed femur and tendons, and bindings that gathered from the bone after her crash in Canggu in July.

But she thinks that her injuries could develop into much worse – including possible loss of limbs – if her insurance company could not cover her large medical expenses at a hospital in Bali.

And she is just one of the many Australians who attend this year's serious scooters in Bali, including those who were killed.

Amethyst, who holds a license for Australian scooters, said she was initially indecisive to be scooter-ridden in busy Kuta but she thought that Canggu, where it was quieter, would be safer.

"That's what I said, I decided to just be impulsive and rent a scooter," said news.com.au.

"My friends and I have licenses for scooters in Australia, so I did not think it was risky."

But that was. And when she and her friend pioneered a scooter, she crashed into a taxi that climbed onto the road.

In addition to damage to the leg, Amethyst suffered a broken cavity in the eyes and skin and two fractures in the jaw.

"I had to carry out eight hours of operation to confuse my facial fractures and re-engage my ties and laces on my knee with a peg and tied it," she said.

"In Perth I had another operation (later) to remove the pin from my knee.

"Because of my mandibular fracture, I screwed the jaws with the screws – two tops and two elastic elastics that I kept for 10 weeks, which means that I had to drink through the straw and could not speak for four days, while my swelling was down. "

Ametist insurance company 1Cover arranged for her mother and sister to fly from Pert when she spent a week and a half in hospital at the BIMC Hospital – also among a series of earthquakes that shook the island, resulting in the evacuation of the hospital.

She said that the staff at the hospital "exceeded expectations", but the costs were high. Together, Amethyst's total cost was $ 62,000, including surgery, recovery, and flights.

"We could not pay any bills, only hospital stay was up to $ 25,000," she said.

"I should not have the opportunity to have an operation, so I would crash in Bali, which I would not literally be able to return to Australia. Most probably I got infected and maybe even lost my strokes if they did not see me with these incredible surgeons . "

Amethyst was eventually transported to a business class on Garuda, but he said this was a "terrible experience".

"In order for me to be able to fly, I had to sit for two hours without feeling faint," she said.

"In order to express how this was frightening to me – a few days before leaving, I could sit 15 minutes before I had to lie, so I did not vomit. I had my wire closed, so vomiting is very dangerous for my jaw and the risk of suffocation . "

In Australia, Amethyst continued to deal with the fall of a scooter.

"In Australia, I had a lot of meetings to check that my bite was right," she said.

"Then I had to remove the bolts from the jaw … In Perth, I spent time at the hospital weekly with meetings until the end of September, when I finally got free jaw. It was an extremely exciting experience for me, and I have a lot of time being oppressed and fearful of the situation . "

Amethyst said that it was a very slow path to recovery and that she had to work physically every day to improve her damaged knee.

And that was more than enough to get it from scooters to Bali for good.

"I think that scooter rental is risky and I would certainly not take it or recommend it by my experience," she said.

"It's risky to know that you are not in full control, you can not guarantee that other people who drive after you will not cause the accident that happened in my case."

She also said she would never travel without insurance.

"I know that many people are thinking" it's just Bali, I'll be fine "if it's really Bali where you should not take risks. So often there are accidents with scooters abroad and you would not expect this to happen to you or someone that you know, but it does and can be fatal. "

This year was another terrible year for Australians who were killed or wounded on scooters in Bali.

Last month, a man, Sunshine Coast man, Jacob Mabb died a week after he was left with terrible injuries after crashing his scooter in Bali.

The 21-year-old former surf trainer hit a scooter on November 25 and suffered severe head injuries that left him in a coma.

In October, Perth man Callan Jay Everts, 32, died when his scooter fell into the wall of the Santo Paulus Church in Northern Corner.

Mr Everts, who traveled with his friend, died shortly after an accident due to head injuries at the Sanglah Hospital.

In August, Sydney's man Ollie Dousset lost his leg, but he had a lucky escape with his life after the scooter he was riding hit the cement truck in Uluwat.

"In fact, we went under the rear axle of the truck," said Mr. Dousset.

"I got up and I saw that the muscle on the calf was on the floor next to my leg, and I just kind of put my foot in my hand and brought it back together. I remember that I need to get to the hospital, so now I have to come to the hospital."

Expert 1Cover Travel Security Specialist Richard Warburton said that bicycles and scooters in Bali were at risk, as was the worrying behavior of young Australians to travel insurance.

"Data show that up to 40 percent of Aussie's younger than 25 years of age do not pay travel insurance, although this is despite the fact that we are dealing with more than 100 incidents in the field of motorcycles and scooters worldwide, of which more than 80 percent of Bali and Thailand, "he said.

"Cyclone and scorers are so common and usually happen because of what we sued" 7 Deadly Biking Sins. "There they rode on poorly maintained roads, riding bikes, helmless helmets, riding without proper license, disregarding road rules, choosing poorly lit roads and driving between alcohol. Only one of them can lead to a devastating disaster. "

Mr Warburton said passengers in Bali were often seen by locals who were riding without helmets and prank into a false sense of security.

"They forget that people who are adults in a certain environment are generally much healthier. And so for everyone, not just schoolchildren or young travelers, it can be a devastating disaster," he said.

"People should ask themselves if you would do it at home?" If the answer is "no", it is probably not the best idea abroad. "