Suffering a personal injury or being the victim of an accident whilst relaxing on your holidays may not be at the forefront of your mind. However, if you are involved in an accident while on holiday, make sure you remember to take your travel insurance policy document with you. This will make it easier for you to make a travel claim, as you will have all the necessary details to hand.
If you have suffered a personal injury whilst on holiday, Irwin Mitchell is here to help. Our solicitors have years of experience in helping people make travel claims and our network of skilled travel claims lawyers will work with you to support your claim for compensation.
To give yourself the best possible chance of making a fair and appropriate compensation claim if you are involved in an accident abroad, you should consider the following.
Be honest when taking out Travel Insurance
Honesty is always the best policy, so tell your travel insurance provider about any potential ‘risks’ you may face whilst on holiday. A frequent omission is what are considered risky or dangerous sports or activities – for example, if you plan to go jet skiing or climbing. Being honest at this venture will help your travel claim should you suffer an accident when participating in this type of activity.
Read your Travel Documents and take them with you
Before you leave for your holiday destination, make sure you read your travel insurance documents, especially the details on excesses. Most minor travel claims, for example, going to see a doctor in a foreign country, may cost less than the excess on your policy and so cannot be claimed on your travel insurance.
Expensive Items
Another piece of sensible advice is to leave your expensive items safe and secure at home, as many travel insurance claims policies will place a limit on the maximum value of individual items. If you do have to take an expensive item with you, say a camcorder, having proof that you owned the item and pre-warning your travel insurance provider before you go can all help when making a travel claim should it be damaged or stolen.
Use common sense on holiday
It is easy to lose some of your inhibitions when on holiday. But just because you are relaxed you shouldn't assume that people will not take advantage. The Financial Ombudsman Service says that holiday makers should ensure a reasonable duty of care, so try to keep valuable items and documents safe, and don′t leave yourself easily exposed to theft or an accident. Common sense should prevail. Your travel claim is more likely to be successful if you have taken all reasonable precautions – just as you would in this country.
Report all stolen items
Report all stolen items to the appropriate authority as soon as you realise they are missing. This may involve telling the hotel manager, police or travel representative. Be sure to get an incident number, as again, this will aid your travel claim.
Making a travel claim
If you have suffered an accident and would like to make a travel claim, contact Irwin Mitchell today. We know that making a travel claim after an accident abroad can be stressful, so we will support you and your family throughout your case until a satisfactory resolution is reached.
To find out more, simply complete our personal injury claim form and our team will contact you to discuss your case further.