Byline: Emma Clapp
An injury can derail a weekend getaway, leaving travelers to deal with medical care, paperwork, and unexpected expenses.
A weekend trip is supposed to be a break from regular life. An injury at the hotel, a fall at a restaurant, or an accident during an excursion can change that pretty fast. Some things can wait until you’re home. Others are much easier to handle while you’re still there.
There may be legal questions later. If you have questions about what happens after the trip, you can also speak with a personal injury lawyer at Chaikin Trial Group, especially if the accident resulted in medical bills or other unexpected costs.
Get Medical Attention After an Injury on Holiday
If the pain is severe, something clearly isn’t right, or symptoms are getting worse instead of better, you may have to put the rest of the day’s plans on hold.
Being away from home can make even a fairly routine doctor visit more complicated. In another country, you may also wonder where to go and whether insurance will cover the bill. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends checking both before traveling abroad. Coverage varies, and paying for care upfront may be necessary in some places.
Report and Document a Hotel or Vacation Accident
A previous New York Weekly article on vacation-rental injuries covers some of the same issues, including documenting what happened and reporting an injury at a rental property.
Get a few pictures before things change. Take photos around a hotel pool, the ground where the fall happened, nearby signs, or anything else that seems relevant. For an excursion accident, include the equipment and the immediate area.
The CDC Yellow Book discusses travel activities such as rafting, skiing, climbing, and mountain biking in its discussion of recreational injuries during travel.
Tell someone what happened before you leave. A hotel manager, an owner, or a property manager. Or the operator running an activity. Also ask for a copy of an incident report.
Keep Track of Expenses After a Travel Injury
Injuries can create expenses that weren’t in your vacation budget. Maybe it’s a prescription. Maybe it’s an Uber to urgent care, another night at the hotel because you can’t travel yet, or a ticket you have to change. Keep the receipts.
Some costs aren’t as easy to remember as a medical bill. A missed day of work, a canceled activity, or an appointment after getting home. Noting those things at the time creates a record you can refer back to later.
Whether you can recover any particular expense is a separate question and depends on the circumstances of the accident.
Who May Be Responsible for an Injury on Holiday?
Responsibility isn’t always obvious even when an accident has happened. A fall caused by water left on a hotel floor raises different questions from an injury involving rental equipment or an accident on a guided tour.
Consider two hotel injuries. One guest falls because water has been left sitting on a lobby floor. Another trips over their own suitcase in the room. Both people may be hurt, but the circumstances aren’t even close.
That’s why the details matter. What caused the accident? Who was responsible for the area or equipment? Did anyone know about a dangerous condition before somebody got hurt?
What to Do After Returning Home From a Holiday Injury
Follow through with any recommended treatment after getting home. If an insurer needs forms, records, or notice of the accident, handle it before the paperwork gets forgotten.
Gathering photos on a phone, medical records, receipts, reservation details, emails, and an incident report is much more useful when you can actually find them.
Back home, you may still have legal loose ends to sort out. An accident that happened far from New York may not be handled under New York law, so where it happened can matter when figuring out what comes next.
FAQ
What should someone do immediately after being injured on holiday?
Get medical help if needed and report what happened. Take some pictures and get the name and number of anyone who witnessed the accident.
Can someone make a claim after being injured at a hotel or vacation rental?
There isn’t an automatic claim just because an injury happened on somebody else’s property. How the person was hurt, what caused the accident, and who was responsible for the property at the time matter.
What evidence should a traveler keep after a holiday accident?
Keep photos from the scene, the incident report, medical paperwork, and receipts. Also keep booking confirmations, emails or texts about the accident, and witness contact information.
Can someone speak with a personal injury lawyer after an accident outside New York?
Yes, although an out-of-state accident can raise questions about which state’s law applies and where to file a claim.
Disclaimer: The content in this article is provided for general knowledge. It does not constitute legal advice, and readers should seek advice from qualified legal professionals regarding particular cases or situations.
