Holidays should be a chance to get away from life’s stresses and strains and enjoy some well-deserved relaxation, but let’s face it, things don’t always work out that way. One complication that can spoil even the best planned family sojourn is an injury – and from falls to traffic accidents, there’s no shortage of risks to avoid when you’re abroad.
As well as coping with the accident itself, you have the added stress of dealing with unfamiliar legal and medical systems. So, to help ensure you know what to do in these difficult circumstances, here’s a brief guide to the steps you should take if you hurt yourself on holiday.
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What to do if you hurt yourself on holiday
Contact your insurer
If you’re able to, contact your travel insurer before you seek medical assistance. All policies come with a round the clock emergency helpline, so a representative of the company should be able to direct you to an appropriate medical professional. If you skip this step and don’t get approval from your insurer first, you might land yourself with big medical bills. Bear in mind that many standard cover options don’t include private medical treatments if a public hospital is available locally.
Before you leave the doctor’s surgery or hospital, you should ask for receipts of any bills you’ve been asked to pay, as well as a copy of your medical report. This will help to speed up your insurance payout.
Consider making a compensation claim
As well as potentially ruining your holiday, accidents abroad can leave you with a range of expenses to cover and, if it means you need to take time off work when you’re back in the UK, it could even lead to loss of earnings. As personal injury specialists Michael Jefferies Injury Lawyers note on their website, if your accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be able to claim compensation for your suffering and to cover these costs. Whether you’re injured at your hotel, on a plane or on a trip that’s organised as part of a holiday package, you could be eligible for compensation.
Report the accident as soon as possible
If you decide that you will make a claim, it’s important to report your accident to your holiday organiser as soon as possible. If there’s no representative from the travel firm at your resort, contact the company’s head office. Also, try to get the names and addresses of any other holidaymakers who may have seen your accident or the circumstances that caused it and who would be prepared to provide a statement. It’s useful to take photos of your injury and what caused the accident too and write down exactly what happened so that you don’t forget any details. All of this information, along with copies of your medical reports, will help your legal case.
So if hurt yourself on holiday, you now know what steps to take following an accident, you can save yourself unnecessary stress and expense.
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