Going on holiday is supposed to be a time of relaxation and joy. However, accidents can occur anywhere, even on holiday. While being injured always presents some difficulties, it can be more complicated than ever when your injuries take place during a holiday. You’re likely far away from your normal healthcare providers, and you may struggle to have your medical insurance pay out if you’re not in your home country. Not to mention all of the logistics you need to sort out – you may not even have a car or speak the language the doctors speak. It can be quite a nightmare. That’s why we’ve put together this guide of things that you may find helpful if you or a loved one are ever injured on holiday.
Did you sign an indemnity?
Many holiday places and activities require guests to sign an indemnity form for the duration of their stay before they allow them to stay there or partake in certain activities. This is especially common if these activities have a higher risk of injury, like if you’re on a ski trip. Indemnities are essentially a type of contract that says you will not hold the business responsible for any theft, injury, or death that may occur while you are there. Reading through the indemnity will help you find out if there’s anything you can do to hold the business responsible for the injury.
Get legal advice
Whether you’ve signed an indemnity or not, legal advice is something you should look into. You may want to get a lawyer that practices in the area where you were on holiday, since different areas might have different legal procedures, and they may also know whether there have been any past cases of injuries. So, if you were injured while on holiday in Philadelphia, you should look at getting an injury attorney there.
Can you prove negligence?
Sometimes accidents happen, and no one could have prevented them. In these cases, it’s often best to just accept an apology and move on. However, if this accident could have been prevented by a business, you may have a negligence case. To do this, you’ll have to prove that someone is at fault and that they did not take the proper precautions to ensure your safety. For example, if you’re on a boat holiday and something goes wrong which leads to you injuring yourself, you may be a candidate for financial compensation – if you can prove that a business or the boat owner were being negligent. Boats should be serviced regularly, so if you can prove that was not the case, you may be able to claim compensation.
Document your injuries
Of course, you’ll need to document any injuries you get on holiday. This could be in the form of photographs, or witnesses that saw the events take place and can confirm that they caused these injuries. Less obvious injuries may need different documentation. Symptoms of a concussion aren’t enough; you’ll have to get a doctor’s report with an official diagnosis.
