It's World Tourism Day! Do you know what to do if you have an accident as a tourist?

World Tourism Day has been celebrated on 27^th September for many years, and was created to raise awareness of the importance tourism has for economic value as well as broadening our social, political and cultural horizons.  The summer holiday season may be over, but that only means the dawn of winter holidays and the prospect of escaping to the sun comes ever closer.  Deborah Foundling, Personal Injury lawyer, explains here why we should ensure we’re not only prepared with our sun tan lotion, but we also understand what we need to do should we have an accident on holiday.

According to the gov.uk website, over 3,000 people were hospitalised while abroad in 2014/15. Holidays abroad can be a result of a road traffic accident, trip, slip or fall, accident whilst at sea or recreational sport or activity. 

Your package holiday organiser may be responsible if you have an accident whilst on holiday and you could claim compensation for your injury and to cover any medical bills, loss of enjoyment or loss of earnings should your injury be serious.   If you can show that the accident was caused through the fault of a third party then you may be able to pursue a claim for damages. The location of your accident will determine whether your organiser is responsible; if the accident occurred at your hotel or on an excursion booked as part of your package then you may be able to pursue a claim against the package holiday company. 

If you do have the misfortune of having an accident while on holiday, simply follow these steps:

• Report the incident as soon as possible.  This should be to the representative of your package holiday organiser, or if this is not possible on site then make contact with the representative based in the UK.  You should also report the accident to the hotel management, who is expected to record it in their own accident log.  You should ask to receive a copy of this for your future reference.
• Take any supporting photos.  These could be used as evidence, for example if the accident has occurred due to a faulty paving slab then ensure this is documented as this will be used as proof that the other party was negligent.
• Ask for witness statements.  If anyone is present then ensure you take their contact details and ask for a statement as these can also be used as evidence.
• Contact your insurance company.  You need to do this not only for when you need to make a claim but they will also be able to advise you on any medical or legal requirements, in particular on their own time limits as each insurance company is different.
• Seek medical attention as soon as possible.  If you delay in obtaining medical attention this could impact on your claim. Ensure you obtain a copy of any doctor’s report that is completed.

Deborah explains, “On your return home, seek any further medical attention you may need, and then contact us.  You may only have a limited amount of time to be able to make your claim.  We all look forward to our holidays, and often spend a significant amount of time saving for them, so if things do go awry through no fault of your own, we can help support you, not only in terms of financial claims but also through arranging any medical  rehabilitation you may need.”

You can contact Deborah or the Injury team on 0800 91 92 30 or visit their section of the website here.

ENDS

This is for information purposes only and is no substitute for, and should not be interpreted as, legal advice.  All content was correct at the time of publishing and we cannot be held responsible for any changes that may invalidate this article.