Travel and holiday accidents claims
Claims relating to injuries suffered whilst travelling abroad on holiday or on business trips
Holidays are the highlight of the year for many people, but if you get ill or injured it can ruin the experience – especially when it wasn’t your fault. Should this happen, you may have grounds to bring some form of accident, injury or holiday sickness claims.
If you’ve suffered illness or injury away from home, our specialist holiday injury lawyers and solicitors can help. This includes with all sorts of holiday accident claims, whether they occurred when you were:
- Abroad on holiday
- Overseas on business
- Travelling for other purposes
Our expert team could also help you get the holiday sickness compensation you deserve if you fall ill abroad. This could include for getting food poisoning on a cruise or during the course of an all-inclusive package holiday.
Please contact us for free, no-obligation advice on freephone:
- 0800 6895854
- or email travelclaims@leighday.co.uk
What the directories say
The team at Leigh Day has a strong reputation for its capabilities acting for claimants in an array of sensitive, complex, and severe injury cases; it is noted for its ‘particular strengths in dealing with high-pressure multi-party claims’ which often involve high values of compensation.
Legal 500 2025
What the directories say
A claimant-facing, client-focused team of dedicated cross-border personal injury practitioners. Particular strengths in dealing with high-pressure multi-party claims and claims with a campaigning edge. Not afraid to take on cases of legal complexity and multi-jurisdictional and applicable law issues.
Legal 500 2024
What the directories say
A formidable team of experts under the skilled and impressive supervision of superstar Clare Campbell. The team has particular skill in cross-border personal injury cases of the highest profile. There is real strength-in-depth from this team in the travel personal injury field.
Legal 500 2024
What holiday accidents can I claim for?
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Types of holiday injury claims
Whether you’re away on holiday or on a business trip, illness or injury can ruin your plans. Plus, if you’re unable to do all the things you had planned, your trip away could feel like a lot of wasted time, effort, and money.
If an illness or injury wasn’t your fault, our specialist holiday accident claims solicitors could help you secure any compensation you’re entitled to, helping make up for what you missed out on your trip.
Some of the most common holiday injury and sickness claims we can help with include:
- Road traffic accidents
- Accidents on board airplanes
- Cruise ship accidents and illnesses
- Sporting injuries
- Accidents during the course of a package holiday
- Accommodation claims
- Food poisoning cases
- Legionnaires Disease
- Accidents during the course of working abroad
- Oil rig accidents
In the event of an injury overseas
Download our safe travel guide
What our clients say
I contacted Leigh Day following an accident I had on holiday. Thank you, I really do appreciate the excellent service that I have received and am incredibly pleased with the outcome!"
Becky, via Trustpilot
What our clients say
How to claim for holiday sickness and injury
To start your holiday accidents claim, contact our specialist team for a free initial consultation. When you get in touch, explain the details of your case and someone from our team will advise on whether you have a claim and the next steps to take.
If you do have grounds for a claim, we can then help identify any supporting evidence required to prove your case and who is responsible for your injuries or illness to secure holiday sickness compensation. This can include:
- Medical records and documents to verify your illness or injury.
- Witness statements from anyone who saw the accident.
- Photographs and/or videos of the event that led to your injuries.
- Accident Report Form completed at the hotel.
Holiday sickness compensation
If you miss out on elements of your trip due to illness or injury that wasn’t your fault, you could be entitled to holiday sickness compensation.
The amount secured through a holiday sickness claim can go towards recouping any financial losses you occurred because of your illness or injury. This could include:
- The cost of any activities and excursions you had paid for but were unable to attend.
- Restaurant reservation fees lost due to having to cancel.
- Extra travel expenses for travelling to and from the hospital, changing your accommodation or returning home.
- Medical bills incurred because of any treatment and medication.
- The cost of cutting your trip short if you have to return home as a result of your injury.
How we can help your holiday sickness claims process
Our experienced holiday injury lawyers can help you with your case. They have successfully claimed compensation for illnesses contracted during the course of all inclusive holidays in several countries across the world, including:
- Europe including Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Turkey and Italy
- The Caribbean
- Africa including Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco
- Thailand
- Nepal
Lawyers acting in our travel claims team includes members of the:
- Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)
- American Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA)
- Pan European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers (PEOPIL)
The team also has close ties with specialist law firms in Australia, Europe and the US.
Travel guide
When you have spent months looking forward to your holiday, you want to make sure you enjoy every moment. To get the most out of your holiday, we have identified some of the most common travel pitfalls below. These tips may also make things easier for you if you need to make a holiday injury claim.
Ensure your policy covers you for the destination you’re visiting and the excursions and activities you plan to undertake to avoid potential fees if things go wrong.
If you visit an EU country, you must obtain a GHIC as it gives you the right to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in the European Union in advance.
UK-issued European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) are still valid and offer the same cover as GHICs in the EU. Once your EHIC has expired, you will be able to replace it with a GHIC.
A GHIC or an EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not provide private medical treatment, cover for lost or stolen property or repatriation to the UK if your injuries are serious.
Some banks will block any payments being made abroad if this is deemed as “unusual activity on your account”. Make sure you contact them in advance so you can use your credit/debit cards without any issues.
If you’re planning an adventure in an overseas country, it’s vital you spend time researching the local laws and any activities you’re planning. This will help you feel informed and can help keep you safe.
How to get your travel insurance right
It might not be the most exciting part of the holiday, but ensuring you have the right travel insurance is just as important as checking that your passport is in date. In some cases, even a relatively minor injury on holiday can cost thousands of pounds. The price of medical treatment abroad varies significantly depending on the country you visit.
When looking for travel insurance don’t always default to the cheapest policy. Make sure that your cover is inclusive of any holiday activities you’re planning, such as backpacking, cycling or skiing.
Remember, your travel insurance is a contract between you and the insurer. You must read all the terms and conditions and the small print. An insurer is unlikely to accept a claim because you did not know that your travel insurance excluded a specific activity.
Pay attention to the most crucial part – the exclusions section – to understand what you are not covered for under the policy. Some people do not realise that their travel insurance will not cover them for certain activities, travel within select countries or pre-existing medical conditions until it is too late.
Taking your policy documents on holiday with you will ensure that you have the specifics of what you are covered for and who to contact if things do go wrong.
If you are travelling abroad in Europe, apply for your GHIC well in advance. Many insurance policies expect you to use this card to reduce your hospital bills, and the insurer may not fully cover your costs if you do not.
It is essential to consider the amount of insurance excess payable when choosing your policy, especially if you are taking out insurance on behalf of a group.
Do your homework and shop around for the best policy for you. Many excesses are from £50 to £150 and apply to all claims. If you are forced to cancel a holiday, it is important you consider whether this excess is payable per person, per incident or both.
Alternatively, if your bag is lost, damaged or stolen, is the excess payable per item, bag, or claim?
If your travel insurers refuse to pay out for a claim under the policy and this refusal is upheld after you complain, remember that you do have options.
The Financial Ombudsman Service is a free and independent service set up to help consumers complain about a financial institution, including the insurance industry. The ombudsman will review the facts of your claim in an objective manner and rule whether the decision was reasonable.
If you are not happy with the decision, then you can ask for a formal, final decision by the ombudsman and, after that, the courts.
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