After spending all year looking forward to your holiday, the last thing you probably want to think about is the possibility that something could go wrong. It has to be accepted, however, that things do occasionally go awry. No matter how carefully you plan your holiday, or how much you pay for the privilege, incidents can arise which result in personal injury to yourself or a member of your family. Sometimes this may genuinely be an accident, something which can’t be blamed on anyone in particular, and from which you’ll just have to try and recover as best you can. On other occasions, however, the holiday accident may have been caused by the neglect or failings of other parties. If this is the case, then we feel it’s only fair that you should be able to make a claim for compensation. After all, you’ve spent the entire year saving, planning and looking forward to your holiday, and, if it’s been ruined due to the incompetence, neglect or carelessness of a third party, then you have every right to seek recompense. Not only can compensation refund any immediate expenses brought about by your holiday accident, but it will also cover the cost of the ruined holiday itself and reward an amount based upon the scale and type of your injuries.
Although we deal in every type of claim for personal injury, there are factors involved with a claim for injury which happens when you’re on holiday abroad which make it particularly complex. On many occasions, a claim made following an accident which has happened abroad has to be pursued on the basis of the laws in that particular country. What this means is that every aspect of your case, from the basic fact of whether you’ll be able to pursue a claim for compensation, to the amount of compensation you might receive and whether your lawyer can work on a no win no fee basis, will be affected by the legal situation which pertains to the country in question.
Amongst the types of holiday accident claims which we have pursued over the years are cases such as:
- Food poisoning which has been caught whilst eating at a hotel or restaurant.
- Medical conditions brought about by the poor hygiene standards of the place at which you are staying.
- A road traffic accident caused by a faulty hire car.
- An injury sustained whilst using the public transport in a foreign city.
- Any injury sustained whilst taking part in water sports or skiing.
- An injury following an incident which took place while you were out on an organised trip or excursion.
Despite the difficulties inherent in pursuing a case though another country’s courts, there is legislation in place such as the 1992 Package Travel, Package Holiday and Package Tour Act which, together with increasing harmonisation of laws throughout the EU, makes it easier than it previously was to pursue such a claim, even if you’ve already returned home. All of which means that if your holiday’s been ruined, you’ve every right to claim compensation and, with the right people on your side, every chance of getting it.