Accidents Abroad

The most common accidents travellers face include:

• Road traffic collisions (including quad bike and jeep accidents)
• Accidents in hotels, around swimming pools, and in other public areas, including falls on stairs and ramps
• Cycling accidents
• Cruise and boating accidents
• Adventure holiday accidents
• Medical negligence
• Assaults and falls in public areas and private buildings. 

How much compensation you receive after an accident or illness abroad will depend on a number of factors related to your injury or illness, its circumstances, and the support and rehabilitation you need. The amount of compensation you could claim is based on:

• Your condition, and its severity
• Medical expenses you've had to or will have to pay both abroad and in the UK, as well as travel expenses to any appointments
• Your care and support needs – both now abroad and in the future once home
• The amount you had spent on your holiday or travel abroad, and the loss of enjoyment you've experienced

For more information, call us and we'll be happy to discuss your options in a free initial consultation.

Follow these expert tips to protect yourself from accidents while away on holiday and prepare yourself in case you suffer an injury:

Insurance

• Before travelling, make sure you have travel insurance with good medical assistance cover for the whole duration of your trip
• Post Brexit the EHIC scheme has been replaced by the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) which can give you similar state healthcare to residents in those countries. Apply for that on the government website or at your local post office for free, ensure it is up to date and keep it with you when you travel. These are free cards, do not use websites that charge a fee for the service.
• Don’t rely on an EHIC or GHIC alone. This doesn’t cover all expenses if something happens to you. For example, it wouldn’t cover the cost for you to be repatriated by air ambulance back home if you were seriously injured
• It’s important to read the fine print of your insurance policy to make sure it gives you the right level of cover. Look out for policy limits and exclusions

Health and safety

• Keep an eye out for safety advice and warning signs around your holiday complex or the local area on how to avoid injury. The same advice goes for excursions
• Check for any faults when you arrive at your accommodation and report these to hotel staff or your holiday rep. If possible, take photographs to provide evidence of potential safety breaches
• Request a sticker from hotel staff to place on any glass doors, if there’s isn’t already one

Reporting accidents

• Report any accident as soon as possible to your resort representative, hotel staff or accommodation owner
• Contact your travel insurance provider as soon as possible after an accident to get advice on your level of medical cover. Some companies have a strict period for making a claim, which is worth checking before you travel. It’s also useful to keep the contact number for your provider to hand
• Make sure that your accident has been recorded in the hotel’s accident book, and keep a copy of it
• If possible, take photographs of where the accident happened and what might have caused it
• If there were any witnesses to the accident, get their names and contact details
• If you seek medical attention, keep a report of any doctor’s notes, hospital documentation, and medical treatment receipts
• Try to keep a diary of your appointments or any discussions with hotel staff or management following an injury.

In the UK, you usually need to make a compensation claim within three years of your accident or illness.

In fatal cases, the family of the deceased has three years to make a claim, starting from either the date your loved one died, or the date you received the post-mortem results.

However, these time limits vary a great deal from country to country and are much shorter in some countries, so when an accident or illness has taken place abroad, it's vital that you contact us as soon as possible. We are experts in international law, and have a worldwide network of partner law firms that we work with, so we'll be able to advise you on specific time limits.

Even if your accident or illness occurred abroad, you can often make a claim here in the UK, though this will vary depending on your circumstances. For example, if you suffered an accident or illness while staying in a hotel as part of a package holiday, you should be able to make a claim against the tour operator here in the UK. You can also usually claim in the UK if you’re claiming against an individual insurer or employer that is based in the UK, or a business or insurer based in the EU. The law around compensation is different in each country, so we will consider where it would be best to make your claim in order to get the best possible result for you.

If you do have to make a claim abroad, there’s nothing to worry about as we have years of experience in helping clients to claim in more than 80 countries around the world. We work with an international network of law firms to represent and support our clients and their families when they need to claim, no matter which country the accident or illness occurred in. Most claims are settled out of court, so it’s unlikely that you will need to travel abroad for a court case. If this is necessary in your case, we will support you every step of the way.

If you've been injured, or if a loved one has died, as a result of an accident abroad, you may be eligible for compensation.  To make a claim, we will work to prove that the accident was caused by someone else. For example:

• A road traffic accident caused by someone else's reckless driving
• An assault
• Slips caused by an unmarked wet floor in a hotel
• Inadequately supervised or poorly instructed sporting activities
• An injury caused by medical negligence during surgery or treatment abroad
• An injury caused by inadequate safety procedures at work

This isn't an exhaustive list, and there are many situations in which you might be able to make a claim. Whether you were injured on holiday, or while working abroad, your entitlement to make a claim is not affected, but it could determine who you can claim against.

Claims could be pursued against the person directly responsible for your accident, or against a third party who had a duty of care to you while you were abroad, such as an employer or a package tour operator. 

To make a compensation claim for an accident abroad, the first thing you need to do is get in touch with us for a free initial consultation. We'll discuss the circumstances surrounding your accident, advise you on whether or not we think you can claim, and whether you could benefit from a No Win No Fee arrangement.

If you choose to go ahead, your claim will usually go through the following four stages:

1. Investigation. We'll establish who's responsible for your accident, which could involve speaking to witnesses, or accessing reports made by the emergency services. We'll also arrange for a medical examination to find out the full extent of your injuries.
2. Rehabilitation. If you have any medical care or support needs, we'll help you to access the necessary treatment and advice that you are entitled to. This could include physical therapy, surgery, or psychological treatment, as well as mobility equipment and home modifications.
3. Compensation. We'll work out how much compensation you should get based on the severity of your injuries and your pain and suffering, any medical expenses you've had, and your ability to get back to work. We'll put this amount to those responsible, and they can either accept blame or contest the claim.
4. Conclusion. If your opponent accepts blame, you'll be awarded compensation. If not, the case will be settled in court – although this is rare. If you do have to go to court, we'll be there support you every step of the way. If we agreed to handle your claim under a No Win No Fee arrangement, then you won't have to pay anything if you were unsuccessful.

Making a compensation claim can be a daunting prospect, and it helps to have the experts on your side. We can help you navigate language barriers and complex local laws, so there's nothing to worry about.

Our international personal injury team is the largest in the UK, and we work with a worldwide network of law firms to ensure that we can provide an expert service to our clients across as many countries and in as many languages as possible.

We've helped our clients claim hundreds of millions of pounds for accidents and illnesses abroad, as well as offering personalised rehabilitation support to help them recover as much as possible from their injuries.

We'll work with you from the beginning of your claim to identify what medical care and support you are entitled to, such as:

• Surgery
• Physiotherapy
• Mobility aids
• Home modifications

This comprehensive approach to our clients' welfare has seen us named Post Magazine’s Rehabilitation Award for Claimant Solicitors on seven occasions.

Our aim is to make the claims process as simple as possible for you, and we're committed to handling all claims with compassion and care, putting the interests of you and your family first.

Most of our personal injury claims pursued in England, Scotland, or Wales are made using a no win no fee agreement. This is very beneficial for most clients as there’s nothing to pay upfront and no fees to pay if your claim is unsuccessful.

You’ll only have to pay any fees if your claim does succeed, and even then, most of our fees will be covered by your opponent.

We’ll always make sure you’re fully aware of all available funding options before we start working for you.

The country your employer is based in may affect the way that we pursue your claim, but it may not make a big difference from your perspective.

We work with an international network of law firms, and you should still be able to claim compensation if your employer or other person responsible is found to have acted negligently under local law. The details might be different, but laws exist to protect workers from negligent employers in most countries.

Local legal frameworks might also affect your claim, but again, this shouldn't change things from your perspective. If your employer is based in the United States, for example, they could be subject to both State and Federal laws, which may affect our approach to your case. However, we’ll handle every aspect of your case for you, and if your case is dealt with by a law firm abroad, we’ll work closely with them to get the best outcome.

If your employer is based in the UK and caused your accident, we can usually make your claim in the UK courts, even if the accident happened abroad. If your employer is based overseas, it may still be possible to bring your claim in the UK. Whatever the circumstances, we have the experience needed to help you access the compensation you deserve.

If you're unsure about anything or have any questions about how a claim will work, contact us today.

It’s important that you start making a claim for an accident working abroad as soon as possible. The cut-off point for starting a compensation claim varies in different countries, with some having short time limits.

For this reason, you’ll need to make sure your claim is made within whichever time limit applies. Evidence is often easier for us to gather if the accident was recent, meaning we’ll be able to build the strongest case possible for you.

Get in touch with us today to begin the claims process.

Most of the claims we make for injuries working abroad are made in England and Wales. In some cases, it may be best for you if your claim is made in a different country.

Our international personal injury claims team are experts in the field of international law. We’ve helped clients claim compensation in countries across Africa, Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Australasia.

We’ll work to keep your claim from going to court, minimising the stress for you. However, we work with a network of law firms across the globe who can help us to collect evidence and advise on any differences in law in particular countries.

If your claim needs to be heard in a foreign court, a legal expert in that country will be there to represent you.