Accidents While Working Abroad

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.

Many of our cases are funded with a No Win No Fee agreement. This means that there’s no financial risk to you when making a compensation claim.

At the start of your case, we'll discuss funding options with you, advising you which we think is most suitable. If you have legal expenses insurance (LEI) or are covered by a trade union policy, these may be best for you. Legal expenses insurance is included in many household, travel or car insurance policies, so it’s always worth checking whether you’re already covered.

If we think you're best supported by a No Win No Fee agreement, we'll explain the process clearly. You'll only have to pay anything if your claim is successful – even then your opponent will pay most of our fees, with the remaining costs coming out of your compensation settlement.

Please visit our No Win No Fee page for more information on how it works.

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
• Psychological trauma experienced
• Current and future loss of earnings if you've had to stop working in the short or long-term
• 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 and in the future
• Modifications to your home
• Mobility aids
• The amount you had spent on your holiday or travel abroad, and the loss of enjoyment you've experienced
• Your pain and suffering
• Other financial loss or expense due to your injury

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.

Injuries sustained while working in a foreign country can come in many forms. No matter how you became injured, if it wasn’t your fault, we urge you to contact us to discuss making a claim for compensation.

Some of the most common causes of injuries sustained while working abroad include:

• Slips, trips, and falls
• Loss of hearing
• Loss of sight
• Back injuries
• Injuries from working with animals
• Workplace stress
• Burns and scarring
• Electrocution.

We're experts in international law and have helped clients to claim compensation following accidents and illnesses in countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australasia.

We do work with an international network of law firms who can help gather evidence, advise on local differences in law, and attend court hearings if needed.

However, we'll act as your only point of contact throughout your claim, removing any language barriers and making things as easy as possible for you.

We believe that no one should be put off making a claim for compensation that they're entitled to just because an accident or illness occurred in another country, so we aim to make the entire process as simple as possible for you.

If you were injured while working abroad and are now back in the UK, it’s likely that you’ll still be able to make a claim. We’ve strong connections with lawyers worldwide, so you’ll be supported by our lawyers and a legal expert with specialist knowledge of the other country’s legal processes.

However, it’s essential you begin your claim within the other country’s time limits. The length of time you've got to claim varies widely in different countries. That’s why you should contact us today to get the process started on your claim.

The laws around claiming compensation are different in each country, too, so we’ll advise you on where we think it’d be best for you to make your claim. Even if your employer is based overseas, if we need to go to court, we may be able to settle your claim in a UK court.

If you were injured while working in the UK, our personal injury lawyers can help you to make a claim.

Compensation is calculated based on the unique circumstances around each claim. For this reason, we’ll need to know more about what happened to you before we can put a value on your claim.

Get in touch with us to arrange a free initial consultation, where you can tell us about the accident you had and the injuries you sustained while working abroad. We’ll then be able to give you an idea of how much your claim could be worth.

We’ll make sure the compensation amount we claim for considers all your needs, both now and in the future. The compensation sum will factor in:

• Your pain and suffering
• Loss of earnings if you’ve been unable to work
• Expenses, such as the cost of retraining if you can no longer do your original job due to your injury
• Your long-term care needs
• Specialist equipment or medical treatment you may need
• Adaptations you need making to your home to live an independent life.

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.