It's just one week today until the local schools break up - Yayyyyy!!!
As I've already had my summer holiday this year and with two schools within the first mile of my drive to work, my excitement has more to do with the prospect of getting the leave the house ten minutes later in the mornings for a few weeks, than anything else. For many people though, it's time to dig out their swimsuits and suitcases and get packing!
If you're heading off for a family holiday sometime soon, we've put together series of posts over the coming weeks, to help make sure you and your family remember your holiday for all the right reasons!
Included in the series will be advice on avoiding Food Posioning Whilst on Holiday, Road Traffic Accidents Abroad and general accidents and injuries.
Having an injury whilst abroad, it’s not something any of us tend to think about, besides perhaps when briefly skimming through the small print on our travel insurance (First Tip - if you don't have Travel Insurance - get some!). But with potentially one in three adults in the UK taking an overseas holiday, and the majority of those taken over the summer period, it’s good to know what your options are should something unexpected happen.
Injured on Holiday Abroad
Many people are unaware that they may be able to claim personal injury compensation under UK law if they’ve been injured on holiday abroad, regardless of whether or not they had insurance. If the holiday was booked as a package deal (where at least two elements of the holiday, such as flight, accommodation or activities, were booked at the same time and through a UK company) a claim can be made against the tour operator or travel agent.
Even if you independently made your travel and accommodation arrangements, or the accident occurred during an activity not included in your package, it is still worth seeking legal advice as to what options are available to you.
To claim against the tour operator or travel agent the accident would need to have happened either at the hotel complex or on an excursion or activity that was provided as part of the package. For example, if you booked a package holiday and suffered from serious food poisoning as the result of food eaten at your hotel then a claim could be made against the tour operator. However if you suffered food poisoning as a result of food you consumed at a restaurant that was not included in the package then the claim would be processed in a different way. This would involve bringing a claim against the restaurant and may not be covered by UK law; it can be a difficult process, but we have Solicitors who are experts in this type of claim, should you need one.
(We'll have some great tips on how to avoid food poisoning whilst on holiday in next week's post - type your email address in the "Subscribe via Email" box on the right and you'll be emailed as soon as it's posted).
Similarly if the pavement in the hotel grounds was poorly maintained and caused an accident, then a personal injury compensation claim could be made against your travel agent. However if the same accident occurred when you popped into the local town then your travel agent would not be at fault.
A further example would be if an accident occurred during an activity such as cycling, diving or jet skiing. If these were included as part of the package you purchased in the UK then the tour operator may be liable, however if you arranged them independently, or booked them through the hotel while on holiday, then this would not be the case.
As you can see there are various types of injury abroad, these include:
- Road Accidents Abroad– including incidents involving your own car, hired cars or scooters as well as bus and coach accidents.
- Trips and Falls Abroad– either at the hotel, bar, restaurant or on excursions.
- Sporting Accidents Abroad– if the organiser has been negligent.
- Holiday Illness– see our post on food poisoning abroad.
We will be looking at some of these in more detail in our "Summer Series" of posts which you can subscribe by putting your email address in the "Subscribe via Email" box on the right - you'll be emailed as soon as a new blog is posted.
What you should do if an accident occurs:
- Report the accident to your travel representative straight away
- Also report it to the owner or manager of where it occurred and your UK travel agent, if you have one.
- Seek medical advice and ensure a record of this is kept (this is a pre-requisite to compensation schemes in some countries)
- Take names and contact details of those involved.
- Take names and addresses of witnesses to the accident.
- Take photographs of the area where the accident happened.
- Keep all of your travel documentation, receipts and paperwork including medical letters, receipts for treatment, hospital discharge letters or any other documentation relating to or arising from the holiday and injury.
- If you are intending to claim expenses such as prescription costs and travelling expenses, remember to keep receipts as evidence.
What happens next?
If you have suffered an injury abroad then you may be entitled to make a claim for personal injury compensation. Our friendly specialist advisors can talk to you about your situation and see if you have a valid compensation claim. There is no charge for this service and you are under no obligation to claim with us.
If you have a genuine claim, contact a genuine company.
May I Claim, is a trading name of R Costings Limited and our CRM number is 25770
If you’ve had an accident that wasn’t your fault and suffered an injury - you can trust us to handle your claim professionally.
Call us now on 0800 756 7774 and talk to us to find out if you have a claim - or fill in our Quick Claim form (on the right of this page).
http://info.mayiclaim.co.uk/personal_injury_compensation_claim_news/bid/304949/Summer-Holiday-Series-Injuries-Accidents-Whilst-on-Holiday
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