Health Upp Vacations are supposed to be a time of relaxation, fun, and experiencing new things. Unfortunately, this can all come crashing down if you’re injured while on the trip. Even a minor accident can have big repercussions on your trip, affecting what you’re able to do and how much you’re able to enjoy it. To make the best of the situation, it’s important to know ahead of time what you should do in the event of an accident. Below, we’ll walk you through the steps you should follow in the event of an injury while vacationing.
Find Local Medical Assistance
The first thing you need to do after experiencing an injury on vacation is seek medical assistance. As you’re in a new place, finding the nearest location for aid may be hard. This is why it’s a good idea to know in advance where the local healthcare facilities are located. Either as you’re planning your trip or once you arrive, mark down the location of nearby healthcare facilities so that you know where to go if needed.
If you didn’t get a chance to do this, you’ll need to find a facility at the time of your injury. You can either conduct a search on your phone or ask some nearby locals for assistance. Your health is the most important thing, so do whatever you need to take care of yourself first, then move on to the other steps.
Document the Accident
Once you’re able, take some time to document the scene of the accident. It’s important to have a record of what happened, as you may need to pursue legal action later, or you might need it for insurance purposes. To document the incident, you can start by taking some pictures. Snap a few photos of the surrounding area and anything that lead to the accident. After that, take a few pictures of any injuries you received.
Besides photos, try to get some witnesses who saw the accident. Ask for their contact information if you need to contact them. Lastly, if there are any police reports or medical records involved with the accident, you should seek copies of these.
Contact Your Insurance Provider
Another thing you’ll want to do after an injury is contact your insurance provider. If you’re traveling within the United States, you can likely contact your normal healthcare insurance provider. However, if you don’t have healthcare insurance or if you’re traveling abroad, you’ll want to work with a travel insurance provider. Of course, this requires that you sign up for a travel insurance policy before you leave. Whichever provider you need to contact, do so as soon as possible to ensure you’re properly compensated for any expenses you incur due to your injury.
Talk with a Travel Injury Attorney
In some cases, you may need to work with a travel injury attorney. This can happen if your injury was the result of someone else’s negligence. For example, if you’re injured on the premises of a hotel because they created an unsafe environment, a travel injury attorney can help you pursue legal action.
According to the Chopin Law Firm, a New Orleans vacation injury lawyer, “Common vacation injuries sources include walking around a city, festivals, public events, car accidents, rideshare incidents, hotel & motel accidents, and slip and fall accidents.” No matter what sort of injury you experience abroad, you should consult with a travel injury attorney to learn about your options for compensation.
Inform Any Hosts or Tour Guides
Once you’ve got all the legal and necessary steps out of the way, you can then take some steps to alter the rest of your trip. For example, if you need to leave early as a result of the injury, you should talk with your host to let them know you’re leaving or to see if you can receive a refund. Similarly, if your trip involves a regular tour guide, you should let them know about your injury. Your tour guide may be able to alter the remainder of the trip to accommodate any limitations you now have.
Take Time to Recover
Lastly, take time to recover. When you’re traveling, it’s tempting to go about your trip as you normally would, ignoring your injury as best you can. However, this can often lead to further injuries. As hard as it might be, you should take as much time as you can to fully recover from your injuries so that you don’t have more medical issues to attend to once you’re home. Follow any doctor’s recommendations, including rest, medication, or attending physical therapy sessions, until you’re back to normal.