Holiday Accident Compensation Claims
Holidays are always highlights in anyone’s year. They are usually pencilled into our calendars long in advance, and we all enjoy the countdown to our holidays. Most of us work hard all year round, so we need our well-earned rest. One of the last things you want when you are on holiday abroad is to experience an accident or become ill. While we can all agree that being unwell or having an incident when on holiday can be devastating, sadly accidents abroad can be a relatively common occurrence.
An individual’s right to claim holiday accident compensation varies from country to country, and depends on whether the holiday was booked as part of a package holiday from a holiday company or via a travel agent.
The Claims Partnership solicitors in Preston can help you to navigate the process and claim compensation for your injury, loss of enjoyment on holiday, and any medical bills that you may have incurred. If you or a family member has developed gastroenteritis or a stomach illness while abroad, please see our Holiday Sickness Claims page.
Frequent Causes of Holiday Accidents and Illnesses
There are numerous ways in which you can become ill or have an accident on holiday. Some of the most common circumstances are:
- An individual or family member may develop food poisoning as a result of consuming food that was prepared and served in their hotel. Please see our page for holiday sickness claims if this page is applicable to you.
- Accidents abroad can occur as a result of run-down or poor construction. A holidaymaker could trip or fall as a result of a broken floor or step within the hotel premises.
- The staff serving in a hotel restaurant could have failed to clean up a spillage, resulting in a slip or fall on sed spillage.
- There may be dangerous or unmaintained areas around a swimming pool, such as broken tiles or missing steps leading into the pool, which can become a clear slipping hazard.
- Holiday claims can arise from the dinner table. Consuming infected, contaminated, ill-prepared, or gone-off food can result in sickness.
How Can We Help?
At The Claims Partnership, we are dedicated to working in your best interests, and we provide great value and high-quality claims service. We treat our clients with integrity and fight their corner every step of the way. We feel confident enough in our skills and experience to say that, if it is legally possible to win your claim, we will do so.
Our Partnership Promise on Costs
At The Claims Partnership, we have three simple rules that apply to our Personal Injury Claims services, as well as all other services we offer.
- We never charge our client anything until the day they receive their compensation payment.
- We guarantee that all our clients will receive a minimum percentage of the compensation they are awarded.
- We will agree on that minimum percentage with our clients before we start to work on their claims.
For our Personal Injury Claims service, we guarantee that all our clients will receive at least 70% of the compensation we negotiate for them.
We can also help you with any medical or rehabilitation needs that you have. Please see our rehabilitation page for more information on this topic.
What To Do If You Are Injured on Holiday
- If you have been injured by a defect in a hotel premises, such as a broken step or danger in your hotel room, then take a photograph of what caused you to be injured.
- When taking photographs of a hazard, ensure that a longer-view photograph shows the hazard within the context of its surroundings.
- Take down the names of any fellow holidaymakers who witnessed the accident or who have also been injured.
- If you have one, report the accident to the Hotel Manager and your Holiday Rep.
- Obtain a medical report, receipt or contact details for the clinic where you received any treatment.
- If you are still suffering on your return to the UK, ensure that you make an appointment with your GP or local walk-in centre to report your injuries. If you think that your injury is serious, consider going to A&E.
What Happens If You Have An Accident Abroad or on Holiday?
We hope that you never get injured on holiday or experience an accident abroad. However, if you do, it is always wise to know the appropriate steps.
Road Traffic Accident
If you are involved in a road traffic accident abroad, you should first call the police. It is worth familiarising yourself with the phone number for the police in the relevant country beforehand. Once the police are there, you should ask for a copy of the police report. If you need help to understand the police, then you should ask for an interpreter.
If you can, ensure you take notes of what happened, photograph any useful evidence, gather personal details of witnesses, and exchange insurance information.
If your accident occurs in Europe, you may receive a European Accident Statement (EAS). This is a standard form available throughout Europe and is no cause for concern. For further information, please refer to Citizen’s advice. Additionally, before driving in any country, it is always worth reading the government’s advice for driving abroad as well as the general advice for that specific country.
Trips, Slips, Falls and Other Accidents
Experiencing an accident such as a trip, slip, or fall is a disconcerting experience at the best of times, but suffering one when on holiday is even worse. If you do experience a trip, slip or fall whilst on holiday or abroad, there are some steps you need to take.
- If you are injured, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Your safety is always paramount.
- If you have to visit the doctor or hospital, request a copy of the medical report. This will be pivotal when making your claim.
- Keep receipts for any medication or service you pay for, as you can claim it back as part of your claim.
- Similar to road accidents, take the personal details of any witnesses or bystanders. You should also gather evidence, such as photographs of what caused your injury.
Does Insurance Cover Accidents Abroad?
Illnesses or accidents aboard can be frightening, so you may want to know how to protect yourself should this happen. One of the main ways people usually look to protect themselves when on holiday is through insurance, but does insurance cover accidents abroad?
In short, yes, insurance should cover you if you have an accident abroad. However, it is worth noting that you may not be covered if you don’t have comprehensive enough insurance. In this instance, you may be able to make an accident abroad claim via a specialist law firm. You should also consult with a legal expert, such as ourselves, before proceeding with this claim type.
Contact Us
An injury abroad can often spoil the holiday for the entire family. Spending time in a foreign hospital or recovering in a hotel room is not the best way to spend your well-earned break, and the last thing you want is to worry about the legal side of the situation. Luckily, The Claims Partnership can help.
If you would like to discuss your holiday accident claim or how we can help you more broadly, please contact us by phone on 01772 562084, by e-mail at info@www.theclaimspartnership.co.uk. or by any of the quick contact forms on this page. We don’t charge up front, we are never in a rush, and we’re happy to help you as much as we can.