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Holiday Accidents & Illness Claims

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Services in: Holiday Accidents & Illness Claims

    • Holiday Sickness Claims & Illness Compensation
    • Cruise Ship Accident & Illness Claims
    • Skiing Injury Claims
    • Road Traffic Accident Abroad Claims
    • Medical Negligence Abroad Claims
    • Terrorism Abroad Claims
    • Serious Injury Abroad Claims
    • Assault Abroad Claims
    • Holiday Food Poisoning Compensation Claims
    • Accidents While Working Abroad Claims
    • Sports Injuries Abroad Claims
    • Foreign Nationals Injured In The UK While On Holiday

Travelling abroad doesn’t come without risks, and injury and illness can, tragically, occur. Whether you’re travelling for work or a holiday, you may find that your plans are drastically changed through becoming ill or injured.

Our personal injury solicitors could help you make a holiday accident compensation claim, or to claim if you were injured or became ill while working abroad. Our lawyers have helped thousands to claim compensation following illness or accidents abroad in a wide range of circumstances.

Most of the international personal injury claims we handle are made in England, Wales, and Scotland. But in some cases, it may be beneficial to make your claim abroad. We can advise you on this in a free initial consultation about making a claim.

Contact us today to arrange an initial chat with our solicitors. There's no obligation to continue with us after this conversation – you're free to just ask us for our advice on whether you can make a claim.

Why choose Irwin Mitchell’s solicitors to handle your holiday accident or illness claim?

We’ve the UK's largest and most successful team of lawyers specialising in making accident claims abroad. Several of our lawyers are recognised internationally as leaders in the field. We continue to secure more compensation and the highest level rehabilitation for our clients than any other law firm in the UK.

Our aim is to make the claims process as simple as possible for you. We handle cases with a compassionate approach that puts you and your family's wellbeing first. We leave out the legal jargon and focus on giving you legal advice in plain English that’s tailored to your circumstances.

Compensation claims in England and Wales are normally funded through a no win no fee agreement. This means that there's nothing to pay upfront, and you won’t have to pay any legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful.

Our in-house team of Support and Rehabilitation Co-ordinators are also on hand to make sure you’re getting all the help you need. These trained clinical specialists will assess what support you need and then make sure you get it.

We’ve strong partnerships with charities across the country, so we can get you the medical and/or emotional help you need. We’re partnered with charities including:

  • Day One
  • Aftermath
  • Widowed & Young
  • Headway
  • Brain & Spine Foundation.

Once your claim is settled, you may feel overwhelmed about how to make the compensation work for you. Our Asset Management team of financial experts can advise you on investing your compensation and making sure it’s always there when you need it.

Our Welfare Benefits team will also be there to make sure you get any extra financial support you’re entitled to. Our Court of Protection team can help you to set up a personal injury trust, which safeguards your compensation from being factored in when calculating benefit entitlement.

It’s also easy for you to come and speak to your solicitor in person, thanks to our offices located across the UK. This allows you to have confidential conversation with your solicitor in a comfortable and private setting.

We can also arrange to meet you at an appropriate location, such as your home or in hospital, if you can’t come an office. We’ll work in the way to suit you, so if you’d rather communicate by phone or video call, we’ll arrange this.

No Win No Fee
Help accessing medical support and rehabilitation
Longstanding links with foreign law experts
Offices across the UK

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0800 121 6558

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demetrius_danas
Demetrius Danas National Head of International Serious Injury Meet the team

More information on accidents and illness abroad claims

If you were involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault, or became ill through someone else’s negligence, you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

To find out if you could make a holiday accident or illness compensation claim, speak to our solicitors today.

To begin making a claim for compensation, your first step is to contact us. We’ll arrange a confidential chat with one of our specialist lawyers in a free initial consultation. During this consultation, we’ll listen to what happened to you and advise on whether you can make a claim.

There’s no obligation to go any further, but if you decide to pursue your claim with us, we’ll begin by gathering all available evidence to support your claim. Evidence we can use depends on the circumstances around your injury or illness, but typical pieces of evidence can include:

  • Receipts
  • Eye-witness statements
  • Independent medical expert opinions
  • Photographic/CCTV evidence
  • Medical records.

We’ll then contact the individual or institution responsible for your illness or injury and inform them we intend to claim against them. If they accept liability for what happened to you, we’ll be able to settle your claim without needing to go to court.

If they accept blame, we’ll work to get you interim payments, which are taken out of your final settlement amount. Interim payments are made before your claim is settled and can be used to pay for ongoing medical or travel expenses you’ve incurred due to your injury or illness.

However, if they dispute responsibility or how much compensation we feel you need, we may need to begin court proceedings. Many claims can still be settled out of court even once trial dates have been set, but if you need to go to court, we’ll make sure you’re as comfortable and prepared as possible.

The types of accidents and illnesses you can claim for in a holiday claim vary widely. Some of the most common things people make a claim for include:

  • Road traffic accidents
  • Sea and cruise injuries
  • Accidents while working abroad
  • Criminal and sexual assault
  • Skiing injuries
  • Medical negligence abroad
  • Sports injuries
  • Food poisoning
  • Terrorism.

This list isn’t exhaustive. If you were injured or became ill through another cause not listed here, we may still be able to help you. Get in touch with us to discuss what happened to you and we’ll advise whether you can claim.

We can’t give you an estimate of how much your claim could be worth until we know more about the circumstances surrounding your illness or injury. Every claim is unique, and so is the amount of compensation awarded in each case.

Get in touch with us to tell us what happened to you. We’ll listen to your story and advise you on how much you could claim for. How much compensation you could be entitled to is based on several factors, including:

  • The circumstances surrounding your illness or injury
  • The type of illness or injury you have
  • Your long-term prognosis
  • Expenses, such as medical and travel expenses for hospital visits
  • Loss of earnings
  • Any specialist equipment you need
  • Any modifications you may need making to your home.

You’ve three years from the date of the accident or becoming ill to make a claim for compensation under the law of England and Wales. The exceptions to this three-year limit are:

  • Children under 18 years old (the time limit begins from their 18th birthday)
  • People who don’t have the mental capacity to make their own claim.

The time limits can vary in different countries, so it’s always advisable to start your claim as soon as you can. This is because the details of the incident are fresher in your mind and the minds of any witnesses who can support your claim. The evidence is also often easier for us to obtain.

We understand that, while recuperating from a serious injury, the last thing you'll want to do is travel abroad again for hearings and court appearances.

However, it’s unlikely you’ll need to go abroad again as part of the claims process. In fact, in many circumstances, you should be able to bring your claim through the UK courts. We help most of our clients to negotiate a compensation settlement without needing to go to court. Although if you need to go to court, we’ll be with you every step of the way and we have a strong international network of law firms who represent injured people all over the world.

Person relaxing by the sea with no legal worries

I am relieved that our legal battle is finally over. Our holiday was a nightmare and we were so disappointed. We’re glad Irwin Mitchell has managed to achieve a successful outcome for us."

David, client

Nicky's Story

Advice if you get ill abroad Nicky Alan with her husband, Darren

Our client, Nicky, became severely ill during a dream holiday to Cape Verde with her husband. They found that the food in their hotel wasn't prepared properly or protected from insects.

Nicky is still experiencing symptoms from her illness, which may never go away. Our solicitors are supporting her to secure compensation for her illness, and her mission is to raise awareness of possible dangers of travelling abroad.

Read Nicky's story

Nicky lying on a hospital bed with a cannula in her hand

It’s so easy to want to give up when you’ve already been through so much, but you have to stand up for yourself. It’s just one phone call where you have a chat and answer a few questions – that’s all it takes. – Nicky

Read More Client Stories

Frequently asked questions

How long will my holiday accident or illness claim take?

We can’t give you a time frame of how long your compensation claim will take, as this is dictated by several factors.

It may take us time to gather all the necessary evidence to support your claim. Gathering evidence from abroad may take longer than a claim based in the UK, but we’ll act as quickly as we can. There may also be language barriers, and negotiations with lawyers in different countries may add to the length of time your claim takes.

Another major factor on how long your claim may take is whether your opponent admits responsibility. If they don’t admit your accident or illness was their fault, then we’ll have to prove it. This may involve starting court proceedings, meaning your claim will take longer to settle than if your opponent accepts fault.

However long your claim takes, we’ll be with you every step of the way. We’ll always act on your instructions and make sure you’re comfortable and informed throughout the process.

Can I make a claim if I became injured or ill while on holiday in the UK?

Yes, our personal injury solicitors can help you to make a claim if you were injured or became ill during a holiday in the UK.

If you sustained an illness or injury through someone else’s negligence in the UK, the claims process is much the same as it would be if you were claiming compensation for a holiday abroad.

Can I make a no win no fee holiday accident claim?

We handle the majority of our claims using a no win no fee agreement. This means you won’t need to pay any fees upfront, and there’s nothing to pay at all if your claim is unsuccessful.

If your claim is successful, most of our fees will be paid by your opponent.

We’ll take out an After The Event (ATE) insurance policy on your behalf so you can make a no win no fee claim. This policy protects you from any unnecessary fees. You may also be able to use your travel insurance to claim for any costs you’ve incurred, and your legal insurance may also be covered by this policy.

Read More FAQs

Related information - Accidents and illness abroad claims

Accident & Illness Abroad Claims Guide - answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about making a claim
Holiday Accident Claims - We could help you make a claim if you've had an accident on holiday
Court of Protection - We can help you manage your loved one's affairs following an accident if they no longer have capacity
Accidents While Working Abroad Claims - Find out how we can help you claim if you've been injured while you were working in another country

* To make a No Win No Fee claim, you need to enter a No Win No Fee agreement that's linked to a suitable insurance policy. We'll explain this in more detail before we start your claim.

About Irwin Mitchell

Founded in Sheffield in 1912, Irwin Mitchell has always been a bit different. Our advisers really get to know the people and business that we help.

We have offices around the UK so wherever you are, our experts can help.

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