It is a sad reality that accidents while on holiday can and do happen, and it is possibly sadder still that claiming compensation is that little bit more difficult and complex than accidents and incidents that happen in the U.K.
As a result, the no win no fee arrangement does not always apply, and compensation is often used to pay legal fees should the holiday accident claim be successful. The legal rules are often subject to the country where the accident occurred.
Organisations and regulations established to assist holiday accident compensation
There are, however, organisations and regulations which can assist in the pursuit of holiday accident compensation. They are:
- The 1992 Package Travel, Package Holiday and Package Tour Regulation which helps holiday accident victims claim compensation in the United Kingdom no matter where in the EU the accident took place.
- The EU Motor Directive 2003 regulation which lists all EU vehicles on a data base. This means that all vehicles can be traced to their owner anywhere in the EU.
- Motor Insurers Bureau handles compensation cases where the insurers of a vehicle cannot be identified.
Despite the complexities involved, tour operators, hotels, and travel companies have a duty of care to keep you safe, in a hygienic environment, and to assess risks of planned trips.
The following lists the most common compensation cases for holiday accidents:
- Slipping or tripping on wet floors or due to objects causing a fall
- Injuries received while on a planned trip
- Injuries received while on foreign transport
- Accidents while skiing
- Water activity accidents
- Food poisoning from hotel food such as buffets or restaurant food
- Hire car problems leading to an accident
- Hotel hygiene causing illness
Making a claim for holiday accident compensation
As with any injury claim, the main issue is often whether or not someone, or an organisation, was negligent in their responsibilities and this led to the accident which caused your personal injury.
It greatly assists our legal teams if at the time of the accident you:
- Made a sketch or took photos of the incident
- Visited a doctor or medical professional and this visit was recorded
- Obtained the contact details of witnesses of the accident
If you feel you have a case for holiday accident compensation, talk to one of our injury solicitors in the first instance, they will take the details of the case and advise you on the next steps. EU law has made claiming compensation from an individual or company easier than it ever has been, and if they can help you they will.
Holiday accidents outside of the EU can be a lot harder to claim compensation for, but our legal teams will assist you in anyway they can.
Regardless of the circumstances of the accident and where in the world it took place, they will strive to pursue the case on a no win no fee basis if possible.
Call us or complete the online form and find out if you can obtain compensation for your holiday accident.