Holiday Accidents: Personal Injury Abroad

Accidents which occur abroad, for example when on holiday, and result in personal injury, can also lead to added anxiety stemming from being unsure of the legal steps necessary to make a compensation claim.

If you are on a working holiday, other than busking, the chances are you will be employed. If the accident was your employers fault and your employers company is based in the UK, or was based in the UK at the time of the accident it is possible to use a UK based solicitor for the claim. The claim will then be treated as any normal UK based claim would be.

If you were on a non-working holiday (usual!) you would be able to make a claim against the holiday company or travel agent so long as you were injured on property owned by or booked by the company. For example, injury caused by loose roof tiles falling on your head or by eating salmonella enriched fish in the dining room of the hotel would mean that you would be entitled to claim against the company. If, however, you skipped lunch at the hotel, only to be injured in a local trattoria by a poorly wired table lamp it would not be possible to sue the travel company.

Although it would normally follow that you would seek medical treatment following an injury,there are many people who would wish to avoid doing so. If you wish to claim for injury it is advisable that you seek treatment as soon as possible. In some countries this is legally required, and even if not, prompt action can play a role in the size of the award.

Also notice, that because legal processes are largely based on paperwork, it is a good idea to report your accident to the travel company, in writing, as soon as possible after the accident, keeping a copy of the communication. If possible get witness statements, or at least correspondence details of possible witnesses. Photographic and video evidence is now allowed in courts, so again if possible obtain these. For example, if you sustained bruises through falling from a badly maintained stair-case, a photograph of the stairs, or better, a video of someone being injured in the same way as yourself should help your case.

So, the key to success in such holiday complaints is to know who to sue and for what; and to glean as much supporting evidence as possible. And if you are dealing with UK-based companies it possible to use UK-based solicitors.

If you have had an accident abroad and need more information about how to make a holiday claim, why not visit the experts at www.holidayclaims.com today.