Traveling can be a heady mixture of emotions that range from the sheer unbridled excitement that can precede your trip to the unrelenting stress that occurs when you discover your baggage is overweight and you have to hold up the line while you move stuff from your check-in luggage to your carry-on. However, one thing can render all of these emotions moot, which is if you end up having some kind of accident while away in a foreign nation. Although this can be a hugely stressful event, there are specific actions you can take that should be able to mitigate the issue somewhat (depending on the severity and where it occurred). In this post, we will try to provide you with a comprehensive list of steps that should give you enough information to handle most situations of this nature that could arise.
Consult With A Local Attorney As Soon As You Can
While this step may not be entirely possible right away, you really should try to contact a local, certified, and regulated attorney as soon as you can. You need to understand that just because you are of a particular nationality, the laws of your home nation may not apply to the location you are vacationing in, and a local law firm should have a deep understanding of the law pertaining to your particular problem. When searching for one that matches your requirements, the best step you can take is to examine their credentials and any awards they may have won for various cases or general good conduct. For example, when you check the website of this Chicago personal injury lawyer, you can see prominently displayed a list of their awards that offer a glimpse into their professional conduct and, therefore, what you should expect when dealing with them. Once you’ve created a shortlist, you can begin to contact them and figure out which will be able to provide you with the best advice and assistance. When you’re going about this process, it’s also important to ensure they have someone on staff able to speak your language in order to fully facilitate the process and get things moving far more smoothly. If they don’t have someone who can speak your language, your best bet will be to head to your embassy in the country and discuss your options with them (addressed later). Alternatively, you can hire a translator to assist you in your dealings with your lawyer, but this can be fraught with other issues…you will simply have to weigh up the pros and cons of whatever options are at your disposal.
Document All Details Of The Incident
Regardless of where you have had the accident, the standard protocols will typically be the same. This means collecting as much evidence as you can, including details of what happened, witness testimony (if possible), and any medical procedures you might have undergone as a result of your injuries. Even if you don’t believe you’ll receive adequate restitution from the negligent party (particularly as some nations tend to favor their own citizens over others regardless of fault), you will still need all of this information to present to your travel insurer in order to get begin the process of receiving compensation when you get back home. This task may become slightly tricker if you’re traveling solo, and if this is the case, you could always find other travelers you have met to help or even the staff of the hotel you’re staying at. However, if you are with others or are able to manage your own affairs, you should keep this information organized and ready to present to any police or medical staff that may need to access it. Moreover, keeping things orderly gives you less work in the long run and makes it far easier to present a case when dealing with an insurance provider, although more on that point later.
Understand Your Rights As A Traveler In A Foreign Land
It can be tempting to believe that as a human being, you will be treated with the same respect and dignity as the citizens of your host nation. While this is undoubtedly an admirable thought, depending on where you vacation, you may be shocked at the disparity between tourists and those living in the country. As previously mentioned, some countries will make it difficult for you to open a legal case against their citizens for a variety of reasons, and even if you’re in the right and legally entitled to litigation, the number of hoops you’ll need to jump through could render the entire process futile. If you find yourself coming up against too many insurmountable problems, you might find solace by contacting your embassy. If your injury is severe enough, this should be your first port of call when possible to do so. Your embassy can usually offer advice on your next steps, help you with translation, and even repatriate you back home if you’re so seriously injured that the local hospitals are unable to treat you. Just bear in mind that the more far-flung your destination is, the less likely it will be that the embassy will be in a position to provide assistance.
In some cases, you might find that three is just a simple consulate rather than a fully-fledged embassy and is unable to provide you with a deeper level of help. In addition, any assistance they render will have to be paid back in some way. Still, if you have good enough insurance, this should cover most costs…as long as you notify them promptly, keep them up to date with happenings, and keep all receipts and official documentation.
Collect Evidence At The Scene If Possible
When at the scene, it is always prudent to take as many photos and record as much detailed information as possible. This will remove any doubt as to who was at fault and how serious the accident was. It is often far more accessible these days as most folks have a high-quality smartphone capable of taking decent shots and uploading them to the cloud. However, you need to be prescient of where you are as some people and cultures will frown upon having photos taken of them, especially if they have also been involved in the incident. In fact, while you should always have your own health and safety first, you could actually endanger some of those who were also involved by taking photos of them in compromising situations. Nevertheless, when in doubt, always take as many images as you can and deal with whatever happens afterward…it is always best to have them just in case, even if you will only show them to your insurance provider.
Seek Medical Attention Promptly
No matter what injuries you sustained, you should always get treatment in some form or another. If it is simply a tiny cut or scrape, you could probably get away with visiting a local pharmacy and purchasing some antibacterial cream or wipes and band-aids to keep the wound from becoming infected. If it’s something worse, then a trip to the hospital may be necessary. In fact, if you believe that anything is wrong and could be worse than it initially appears, you really should seek out help from whatever medical services are available. Failure to do so, which causes you further injury later down the line, could render any insurance claim moot as they will do anything in their power to avoid paying out, especially if they believe you are attempting to claim compensation fraudulently.
Report The Incident To the Authorities
No matter where you are or where the accident occurred, you really should feel empowered enough to report it to the local authorities. This can be a confusing mess of authority in some countries, but it’s way worth it, in the end, to inform someone in uniform of what happened and try to receive an indictment report of some description if they’re willing to provide one. In most developed nations, this isn’t an issue, and as such, you should inform the police what happened and all should be fine. In less developed areas, you might struggle to find anyone who is willing or able to assist you. If this is the case, and you have a mobile or data signal, you should contact your insurer immediately and ask for advice on your next steps, which also happens to lead nicely to the next point.
Notify Your Insurance Company ASAP
It is not a great secret that insurance companies will do almost anything they can to deny payment and will usually put the full force of their legal counsel behind such a task. Nonetheless, if you can follow protocols correctly and have done everything as required by your contract, they have a legal obligation to pay out for all your out-of-pocket costs, possibly even up to and including a medical evacuation. The trick is to inform them as soon as you are able and let them know everything that has happened. Then, you should follow their instructions as to what your next steps should be. You likely won’t get any money immediately and will still have to go through the usual process when back home. But the point is that by following their terms, you are far more likely to get back anything that you have paid out yourself and receive the treatment you need, whether short- or long-term.
It can be a highly stressful thing to be involved in an accident anywhere, let alone in a foreign country. However, by using these tips and knowing your rights, you should be able to claim back any money you spent as a result and get yourself back on the road to recovery.
