With summer in full swing, chances are you already have your holiday booked. You should be feeling great about it; after all, a 2010 study showed that simply planning a holiday – booking flights, mapping activities – makes us happier. However, if your holiday results in a negative experience, it will leave you just as unhappy as if you hadn’t left. If you get ill or injured, you could end up feeling even worse.

Accidents on holiday

Although all accidents that result in a personal injury are frustrating, it’s particularly annoying when you’re hurt during your holiday. To have your time off work ruined, to lose out on activities you have already paid for, and to potentially have to pay for an early flight home out of pocket are enough to put anyone off going abroad for a while. With flights departing from the UK to pretty much anywhere in the world, people can also find themselves injured in very remote locations. With that in mind, here are some simple ways you can prevent getting ill or injured abroad:

• Look after your health: Follow vaccine recommendations and get them well in advance. Make sure to pack any prescription medicines you need in your hand luggage. If you bring plasters and painkillers, you may be able to deal with small problems yourself without visiting a pharmacy.
• Avoid food poisoning: Ask for bottled water – without ice – or boiled water. Avoid raw or undercooked meat and fish. Also, remember that just because a restaurant is expensive, doesn’t mean it’s clean. Ask the locals where they like to go – you may just discover a gem!
• Getting about safely: If you rent a car or moped, make sure you are familiar with local traffic regulations. If you are a pedestrian, don’t take any risks and be patient when crossing the road. Pay attention to signs around nature trails, parks and water – they might be warning you about hazards. Never undertake activities like swimming, diving, or climbing unless you know it’s safe!

What if something does happen?

It’s not always easy to tell if personal injury incident is simply a part of life, or if it could have been prevented in some way. Food poisoning, for example, is very common abroad as we are keen to try interesting dishes and new culinary experiences. You might not think you can get your money back if a bad tummy ruined your holiday, but many people have made claims for compensation after food poisoning and won. The best thing you can do is contact a specialist holiday accident solicitor for advice.

Making a claim back in the UK

The good news is that if you have been injured or suffered illness abroad, you may be able to get compensation. The bad news is that there’s a time limit. How much time you have varies depending on who you booked your holiday through, where it happened, and how it happened. If your accident or injury happened during a package holiday, you have up to three years to begin proceedings – so it may be worth looking into past holidays you’ve had.

If you were in a car accident on holiday, unfortunately, you have to make your claim in that country. Still, CCH & Co’s team of expert personal injury solicitors will help you with your claim, and the earlier you get in touch – the earlier we can handle your case. Depending on the country, it can take some time to hurry proceedings along, but we know how to be persistent. If you contact us right away, we can get started on getting you the compensation you deserve.

Call us on 020 8520 1021 or use our simple online form. We will be more than happy to help you with your case.