Had An Accident On Holiday? What You Need To Know

Being on holiday and all the positive connotations of relaxing and having fun unfortunately do not mean you are exempt from having an accident. The broad scope of different modes of transport and activities while on holiday can often mean that the chances of harming yourself are be more likely.

Common causes of accidents on holiday

Common causes of holiday accident claims cover not just the stay in your resort but also the way in which you travelled there or the activities you took part in while away.

These are: –

• Accidents sustained while on a sports holiday

• Accidents during a skiing holiday

• An accident caused by slipping or tripping in the hotel/resort/campsite

• Road traffic accidents during a transfer to and from your accommodation or while on excursions organised by the tour company

• Accidents while travelling on local transport

• Swimming pool accidents

• Accidents while on board a cruise ship

• Food poisoning or illness from the hotel as a result of poor hygiene

• Carbon monoxide poisoning

• Other illnesses like legionnaires disease, norovirus.

If you are thinking of making a claim remember the following tips: –

• UK Tour Operators require that you must have had the accident or contracted the illness within 3 years of making your claim for it to be considered.

• Your incident MUST have accoutred while you were on holiday and not at any other time.

• The sooner you make the claim the better as it is easier to identify who was at fault

• Record details if possible. Taking photographs of the scene of the accident, making a sketch or writing down dates and times of incidents will help in pursing your claim.

Try to jot things down as and when they happen as it can be difficult to write notes if you allow some time to lapse.

Holiday claims can be obscure because of the range of difference circumstances possible. Accidents abroad are subject to the law of the country where it took place which in some cases can affect the amount of compensation due to you. Protection via the 1992 Package Travel, Package Holiday and Package Tour Regulation is in place though and allows UK victims to obtain the rightful sum owed to them. The 4th EU Motor Directive 2003 is also available for those who have endured car accidents in an EU country.

In short, when you go on holiday you should be protected at some level, be it by the hotel providing a clean and safe environment, tour operators guaranteeing a safe journey to your resort or on an excursion. If you feel that none of these have been abided by and have suffered an injury then you potentially have the grounds for a successful accident claim and should contact a professional personal injury lawyers firm.