Holiday Accidents: A Crimp in Your Holiday

It can put a crimp into your holiday - an accident that damages either you or your family in some way. Such an accident could be costly and result in the necessity to gain some financial recompense. If you are in strange lands at the time, perhaps where your linguistic skills are wanting, things can appear quite bleak.

So how is it possible to obtain some level of compensation? Well, in order to get compensation for damage caused through an accident it will be necessary to claim for it.

Personal injury is of particular concern. There are as many ways of getting injured as there are body parts. A common and much addressed form of loss is that following a road accident. This is especially so, since most countries insist that we drive on the right! For European travel, the situation is somewhat better than it was six years ago.

In order to make personal injury claims following a road traffic accident easier to deal with, the EU introduced the 4th EU Motor Directive. This legislation came into force in 2003 and covers all EU countries.

It states that all cars insured in EU countries must be registered on a database. Which means that if the injured person has managed to note the registration number plate of the car involved in the accident, the of the insurance company it should be possible to find their details.

The Directive also states that the insurer of the other drive must designate a representative in the home country (UK) of the injured party (you). This will relieve the burden of having to deal with a foreign legal system.

The important conclusion is that your holiday accident claim can be dealt with in the UK by the solicitor of your choice. This is easier than finding a foreign solicitor with the appropriate language skills willing to communicate with you back in the UK.

What if the car was not insured or the insurance company cannot be found or has ceased to exist? According to the Directive, someone must do something. In the UK that role is taken by the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB). It is part of the remit of the MIB to handles claims for untraceable drivers and untraceable insurance companies

Accidents at work are nearly unavoidable

Employers do many things to minimize the chances of accident in the workplace. A workplace accident can vary from something as minor as bumping into a desk to potential disability or even death. Depending upon the extent of the injury different things can take place. Knowing your rights if you are involved in an accident at work is very important especially if you have to file an accident, compensation, or personal injury claim. Your employer will probably have many precautions in place in order to reduce the possibility of a workplace accident. As a new employee you will probably receive training where someone will discuss with you the different hazards in your work area. There might also be signs in the job centre that identify any area of risk.

Another precaution an employer might take is having you sign a waiver stating that if you are injured on the job you will not hold the employer or any other employee at fault. Depending on your particular work environment the degree of injury can vary greatly. If you have an office or administrative job your greatest worry might be a paper cut. If you stock shelves for a living you might be concerned about a heavy box falling on you. Now if you are a coal or oil miner your exposure to danger is greater. As a coal miner you have to worry about cave-ins and as an oil miner there is always the possibility of oil spills. In these conditions the accidents carry a greater risk.

Having the facts concerning your job, the possible threats, and your options should an accident occur is very important. If you have to see a doctor or go to the hospital as a result of an accident in the workplace will your employer cover the bill? Will you be forced to file an accident claim ? Will you receive a compensation claim for any other loss you receive as a result of an accident?