Holiday accident warning

MANCHESTER law firm Slater Heelis is anticipating a rise in the number of Personal Injury enquiries following this summer’s holiday period, based on the growing number of cases handled by the firm in recent years.

Slater Heelis has reported regular spikes of up to 20% in the number of inquiries about compensation for accidents abroad following both the summer and Easter holidays in the past three years. 

The law firm’s personal injury team has recorded the five most common types of accident claims, which are:

• Road accidents: British drivers are usually unfamiliar with foreign roads or different cars and subject to distractions including the sat nav, scenery and fellow passengers

• Slips and falls: trips around the swimming pool are the most common

• Food poisoning: from stomach upsets to more serious strains of food poisoning such as botulism; the most common causes include undercooked or reheated food

• Sports injuries: water sports accidents are common and include bangs to the head from diving into pools; broken ankles and wrists are also common.

• Injuries sustained on excursions: including whiplash during travel and falls whilst sightseeing

Simon Adamson at Slater Heelis [www.slaterheelis.co.uk] said: ‘The annual summer holiday is a big investment of our precious free time and money and the last thing we want to think about is the possibility of being injured'. 

Yet every year thousands of holidaymakers have accidents and we are seeing an increasing number of claims from clients who have been hurt while they are abroad. This can be due to a number of factors – an increase in the number of holidaymakers, more awareness of our consumer rights, alcohol consumption, or participation in more adventurous sporting activities and excursions.

‘Whatever the cause of an accident abroad, it is vital that people know what to do next, from photographing evidence at the scene and alerting hotel staff to seeking legal advice promptly when back home. Nothing can make up for the distress caused by an accident abroad but there are clear guidelines that can help people seek compensation from their travel company or a third party.’

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