What Should I Do If I Suffer a Personal Injury on Vacation?

Numerous people, including high school students and college graduates, head south for spring break. While spring is generally the best time to have fun and enjoy the sun after a long winter, in some cases, accidents do occur. Vacation safety is an important part of your spring break and measures that you take to ensure this can ensure safe travel for you and your family or friends. However, if you have suffered a personal injury on vacation, you should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

Depending on how the accident occurred, the injury can be mild to severe. For example, one may sprain or fracture a bone after a slip and fall on the dance floor, or one may be hit by a car while crossing the road.

The question is: what should you do if you suffer a personal injury on vacation? Here are a few tips:

  1. Tell someone about the injury: As soon as you are injured, whether it’s at the hotel, grocery store, art gallery or restaurant, let the manager know about the incident. If you were in a road accident, notify the police and don’t leave the scene of the accident under any circumstance. These days, almost all vacation resorts have their own protocol for handling any injuries sustained by guests. Once you’ve sorted things out with the police and the manager, you should speak to a personal injury attorney as well. Your attorney may be able to establish if you have a viable claim and how to collect additional information.
  2. Document everything: Everyone today has easy access to technology that would allow them to document anything. If you have a smartphone or any other mobile device that would allow you to record video and take pictures, use that to document anything related to your injury. Take pictures of the nearby area and any factors that may have contributed to the injury. Remember clean-up crews usually arrive at the scene quickly and hence you should not miss capturing any potential evidence before it is cleaned up. This information will be very useful for your personal injury attorney.
  3. Seek medical assistance: In general, no matter how trivial your injury is, seek immediate medical assistance. This is important to ensure safe travel even after you incur the injury. It is not advisable to wait to see a healthcare worker after you return from your vacation. Seek medical assistance, tell the healthcare provider what happened and get a copy of your medical report. This can be helpful if you decide to consult a personal injury attorney and file a claim. Remember sometimes signs and symptoms of an injury may not be immediate, so it is wise to see the healthcare provider as soon as possible.
  4. Contact your insurance provider: This typically applies to those who have travel insurance. If you do, you should contact your insurance provider as soon as you are able to. Let them know about the injury in question and provide the relevant details. Do not engage in any conversation that tries to establish fault etc. You should leave that to your personal injury attorney. But as far as travel insurance is concerned, it is a good idea to ensure safe travel.

You can take additional measures to maximize vacation safety. These measures could include checking out the reputation of the hotel you will be staying in, the touring company and the holiday provider. Read all travel information in detail and never sign off any liability waiver without reading the form first. If you are traveling internationally, avoid driving if you do not understand the law and avoid amusement rides that do not appear safe. Make sure you have travel insurance as this can come in very handy in case a personal injury on vacation.

Consult with an Atlanta, Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer Today

If you suffered a personal injury on vacation , you can contact our personal injury attorney at Ted A. Greve & Associates. Our lawyers have dealt with numerous clients who have been in a similar situation. They will help you determine the best possible course of action and how the negligent party who caused the injury could be held accountable for their actions. Getting injured is never a pleasant thing, but it can be even more stressful if the injury occurs when you’re not even in your hometown. Call us today and a seasoned Atlanta personal injury attorney will be happy to assist you.