Specialists Call On Holidaymakers To Check Insurance Cover

Specialist lawyers representing several people who suffered serious injuries after coming off quad bikes while on holiday are urging anyone planning a trip abroad this summer to take care and always ensure they have the right insurance for such activities.

Irwin Mitchell’s specialist International Personal Injury team act for a number of people affected by such problems. They include a mother-of-one from Blyth who now requires around-the-clock care after suffering multiple injuries in an incident on Zante in June 2017.

The legal experts are speaking out after the issue of quad bike safety was thrust back into the media spotlight following two major incidents. There were recent reports of Essex teenager Millie Essam suffering a broken back and third degree burns following a crash in Dubai, while former footballer Paul Gascoigne also recently confirmed he was injured on a quad bike while holidaying in Benidorm.

In response to the reports, experts at Irwin Mitchell are urging holidaymakers to always put safety first when it comes to quad bikes and – perhaps most importantly – ensure they are covered for riding on them.

Expert Opinion

“It is very worrying to see the issue of quad bike safety back in the spotlight and it emphasises how the importance of the matter cannot be downplayed.

Through our work we have seen very worrying examples of what can happen, with many of those we represent requiring long-term support and care as they look to make a recovery from their injuries. With this in mind, we would always urge people to carefully consider safety before using such vehicles.

Furthermore, another key issue is insurance. Our cases have highlighted how many people do not think about cover when it comes to riding on a quad bike and that is a concern considering such activities may be excluded on standard travel insurance.

Holidaymakers need to educate themselves on the issue as we have sadly seen how families can face spiralling medical costs as a result of insufficient or invalid insurance.

Checking the small print of insurance policies may seem like a laborious task, but properly understanding your cover could make a big difference if things go wrong.”
Cheryl Palmer-Hughes - Partner and Head of our International Serious Injury Desk

Among those that Irwin Mitchell represent is 53-year-old mother-of-one Tracie Harrison from Blyth. She suffered a severe brain injury and a range of other serious injuries after coming off a quad bike which was driven by a friend while on Zante in June 2017.

Her mother Terri, 70, said: “It was awful to see how the crash affected Tracie and two years on she is still working hard to recover from what happened.

“It is really worrying to see reports in the news about quad bike safety and I think it just shows that more needs to be done to educate people on the issue. We faced a very tough time financially due to Tracie not being covered by her travel insurance and holidaymakers need to know where they stand.

“Quad bikes can be incredibly dangerous and something has to be done to improve safety around them.”

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling serious injury abroad claims