holiday accident claim

Most people come back from holiday having had a good time but unfortunately, some will have had a less than enjoyable experience after having their holiday ruined by a holiday accident or illness on holiday.

If you had your holiday spoilt because you, or a family member, became ill or suffered an accident caused by the negligence or recklessness of a third party, it is possible that you may be able to make a holiday compensation claim.

Macks Solicitors are a specialist legal firmthat has successfully recovered hundreds of thousands of pounds in holiday compensation for clients who have been involved in a holiday accident or suffered an illness on holiday.

If you suffered a holiday accident or illness on holiday in this country your holiday compensation claim can be handled in much the same way as any other personal injury claim and Macks Solicitors will be happy to advise you in this regard.

Holidays abroad that have been purchased as part of a package are covered by the Package Travel Regulations that were introduced in 1992. These regulations allow a holiday compensation claim to be made in the UK for a holiday accident or illness on holiday abroad.

On a package holiday, the tour operator organises, and is therefore responsible for, all the elements that make up the “package”. This includes transport to and from the holiday destination, the accommodation and any catering that is included, and may also include “extras”, such as excursions. If you are injured in a holiday accident or suffer an illness on holiday you may be able to make a claim against the tour operator or travel company that made the booking.

The types of incident for which compensation may be claimed are:

Holiday Accidents

• Accidents caused by collapsing furniture, faulty fittings and defective flooring.
• Accidents in and around the hotel restaurant or bar
• Accidents in and around swimming pools and the hotel grounds
• Accidents on Cruise ships
• Road traffic accidents on the transfer journeys or on trips organised by the tour company

Illness on holiday

• Food poisoning as a result of poor hygiene standards
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Other illness e.g. Legionnaires disease, Norovirus

Macks Solicitors is a specialist personal injury practice. Our skilled solicitors are happy to provide legal advice to anyone who has been injured in a holiday accident or has suffered illness on holiday.

As an independent law firm, Macks Solicitors does not take referrals from claims management companies, tour operators or insurers. Macks clients are therefore confident that the solicitor who is handling their holiday compensation claim is acting in their best interests.

Macks Solicitors work on No Win No Fee terms so that their clients can be guaranteed a quality caring legal service which doesn’t cost them a penny. When clients receive their compensation it is the full amount of compensation without any deductions.

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holiday compensation claims

In the past couple of weeks, I have been contacted by several readers who have come home from holidays disappointed with their accommodation or the level of service. This is not unusual at this time of year; but while this correspondence is hardly a representative survey, it seems to me that travellers in such situations are having a harder time than usual obtaining redress. Where one might have expected a tour operator to offer a goodwill payment, or a hotel to reduce a bill slightly, no such generosity has been forthcoming.

There seem to be several reasons for this. First, the economic climate is making tour operators and property owners less inclined to make generous financial gestures. More worried about surviving the recession than winning back custom for another year, they don't want to pay out any money if they can avoid it.

Second, more and more people are making independent booking arrangements through private owners rather than through an agency or operator – and these travellers find it much harder to extract any kind of refund or compensation. An agent or operator can exert pressure on an owner, because the owner relies on them for future bookings. A one-off client has no such leverage.

Lastly, a couple of cases have shown how people's expectations are necessarily subjective. For example, is it reasonable, when you have paid more than £5,000 for a villa in Greece, to expect to be sleeping in cotton, rather than poly-cotton, sheets? Two readers suffered this disappointment – but their case was strengthened by the fact that there was no storage space in the villa (all the cupboards had been locked), and the pool had been treated with the wrong sort of paint (so that the children ended up with blue arms and legs for much of the holiday).

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spanish holiday home insurance

Many property owners encounter difficulties obtaining suitable overseas home insurance. Consequently they choose the quickest option, often a local policy written in a foreign language that’s not suitable for the special requirements of holiday home owners. This decision may prove costly in the event of a claim when you translate the policy and discover that vital cover is excluded, leaving you to pay the claim. As your home is hundreds of miles away it is essential that you have adequate foreign property insurance. Why should you worry about a potential theft or water damage claim being invalid because you have left your property unoccupied for an extended period, or that guests might cause damage or injure themselves? You don’t have to because Schofields have tailored an overseas holiday home insurance policy that covers your house in France, Spain, Portugal or Italy. The insurance does not restrict cover when your property is left unoccupied and includes essential cover for holiday letting. For further information view the summary of cover below or get a quote

Useful information:

The holiday home insurance for French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese property includes the following benefits when you choose buildings or contents insurance... Your overseas holiday home is comprehensively protected as there are no security/heating warranties or restrictions in cover during periods of unoccupancy The policy does not restrict cover or include inconvenient security/inspection requirements that other insurers insist on, for example: turning off the electricity and draining down the water system when your home is left unoccupied Public Liability Insurance with an indemnity limit of £5m is automatically included. This indemnifies both the property owner and also the tenant. In today's environment of every increasing recourse to sue, this essential cover will protect you against legal action from injured holidaymakers when letting and third parties for example - slip, trip and fall claims. The policy includes insurance for swimming pools, including public liability of £5m for the use of the swimming pool at your property. £1m Employers Liability Insurance is automatically included. This protects you against legal action from injured domestic employees, such as change over staff or the pool cleaner. For an additional premium the cover can be extended to include claims arising fromaccidental damage to contents, such as stains to carpets or furniture damage. This alsocovers accidental damaged caused by holidaymakers. Wide theft cover, including theft by tenants Includes loss of pre-booked rental income and the cost of alternative accommodation for you, your family or rental clients following loss or damage to your property. You are automatically covered for twice the contents sum insured. We cover additional costs for travel and accommodation incurred to minimise a claim. Provides wider cover than traditional foreign property insurance and community block policies which usually only cover communal areas such as boundary walls, entrances and staircases, not your specific property. The policy is written in plain English - so you know exactly what is covered. An excess of £50 for each loss or damage claim, increased to £300 for earthquake damage and £250 for escape of water and damaged by the weight of snow claims. Schofields are overseas property insurance specialists and all claims are dealt with by in-house experts with over 26 years experience. Arranged with certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London, one of the worlds leading insurers - exclusively for Schofields.

Overseas house insurance that does not restrict cover when your property is let or unoccupied...without paying a premium price Buildings insurance for a house in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy Covers: Fixtures and fittings within the buildings, domestic outbuildings, garages, domestic fixed fuel oil, tanks, swimming pools, tennis courts, drives, patios and terraces, walls, gates and fences. The insurance covers loss and damage caused by: Fire and explosion Theft or attempted theft, including theft by tenants Storm or tempest (excluding damage to gates or fences) Flood Lightning, thunderbolt or earthquake Escape of water or oil leakage from fixed water tanks, apparatus or pipes Civil disturbance or vandalism Impact by aircraft, vehicles or animals Breakage of fixed glass, sanitary fixtures and ceramic hobs Accidental damage by external means to underground services You will be asked to pay the first £50 of any claim, other than those caused by fire, theft, explosion, lightning or thunderbolt. Increased to £300 for earthquake damage. New for oldProvided your amount insured is adequate, the policy will pay for rebuilding or repair on a full 'new for old' basis, without any deduction for depreciation - irrespective of the age of the property (Other than interior decorations). This part of the policy also provides:-Payment of professional fees and certain other costs. -Restricted protection when your home is unfurnished for normal habitation or is up for sale. Contents Insurance for property in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy Insurers will pay the cost of replacing or repairing any furniture, household goods, clothing and personal possessions if they are lost, destroyed or damaged in any of the circumstances described in buildings insurance (above). Excludes items of gold, silver, jewellery and furs. By payment of an additional premium, cover on contents can be extended to include accidental damage, including damage by guests. Insurance under contents automatically includes protection for claims made against you by the public. This part of the policy also coversAccidental damage to mirrors and fixed glass in furniture A lump sum payment of £1,000 following fatal accidents arising from theft or fire at the premises. Other benefitsLoss or damage to television sets. Provides cover for replacing locks to external doors and alarm following loss of keys. Basis of settlementInsurers will pay for the cost of repair or, where an article is lost or damaged beyond repair, the cost of the article as new, without deduction for wear and tear. Subject to the adequacy of the sum insured, which must always be sufficient to replace all the contents in a new condition. Claims for clothing and household linen will be settled on the basis of replacement cost less wear and tear. The policy wording has been approved by building societies and banks and is readilyaccepted by lenders. A truly comprehensive policy, designed specifically for UK based owners of holiday homes overseas.

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static holiday home insurance

Welcome to CaravanQuoter.co.uk, where you can find lots of UK Caravan Insurance providers under one roof.

Our aim is to give you a broad choice of companies that provide online caravan insurance quotes for both static caravans and touring caravans or tourers and bring these to you in one useful website. New and even second-hand caravans can be a very expensive investment so you may want to protect it with an insurance policy.

There are typically two types of caravan, the touring caravan and the static caravan.

The touring caravan is towed behind a vehicle and allowers the Vanner to travel far and wide availing of camping and caravanning sites throughout the UK and Europe. The static caravan is usually a semi-permanent pitch on a caravan site typically serviced with electricity, water and sewers.

When it comes to insurance however both types of caravans require different types of insurance policy to cover different risks. The touring caravan is subject to the risks of the road including collisions with vehicles and accidents caused by side winds or incorrect loading. A static caravan however is exposed to risks from nature including flooding of the site and falling trees. There is, however, one insurance risk common to both and that is the risk of caravan theft.

Whether you use your caravan every weekend or infrequently, CaravanQuoter.co.uk aims to give you broader choice when it comes to covering both your van and the contents of your caravan. Just click on the appropriate links to read more information on our current online caravan insurance advertisers in the UK. You can then get a quote and then compare that quote to our other featured caravan insurance companies. Some insurers offer different discounts eg. for membership of owners clubs, no-claims bonuses and for the installation of security measures in your caravan.

All caravan and motorhome insurance quotes obtained from companies advertised on this website are completely free and without obligation. As with all types of insurance it always pays to shop around and we aim to make that easier for you. We trust you will find this website useful.

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holiday home insurance greece

Welcome to Staysure Greek holiday home insurance, part of the Staysure over 50s product range. As a leading over 50s insurance provider we are dedicated to bring you the best quality insurance at the lowest possible price. Staysure Greek holiday home insurance is specifically designed for UK residents who own a second home in Greece that is used for less than 123 days per year. Choosing Staysure holiday home insurance can take away the worry of owning a property overseas, all policies are underwritten by a consortium of leading UK insurers and all documents are written in English, removing the margin for misunderstandings which can happen when dealing with a foreign language.

Getting a quote and purchasing your Staysure Greek holiday home insurance online is a simple as 1-2-3. Select the appropriate policy from the simple drop down menu, add your details and book!

Why choose Staysure Greek holiday home insurance?

• Use UK main property no claims bonus
• Instant online quotes and booking
• 24 hour emergency helpline
• Underwritten by a consortium of leading UK insurers
• Prices from £100

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holiday accident

Accidents on Holiday, Injuries on Holiday or Illnesses on Holiday

Information about holiday accidents, holiday injuries and holiday illnesses

If you have an accident on holiday, an injury on holiday or develop an illness on holiday, which was not your fault, then you may be entitled to make a personal injury compensation claim.

If your holiday was within the United Kingdom, your holiday injury claim could be dealt with in the same way as any other personal injury compensation claim; however, if you were abroad at the time, certain other rules apply.

For example, a personal injury solicitor in the United Kingdom would only be able to deal with a personal injury compensation claim against a holiday company for an accident, injury or illness which occurred abroad if the holiday was booked as part of a package deal through a travel agent in the United Kingdom. In addition to this, your holiday accident, holiday injury or holiday illness would need to be the fault of the travel agent or their representatives such as the hotel staff.

If your holiday accident or holiday injury was caused due to a badly maintained section of walkway in the hotel grounds you would be entitled to make a holiday injury compensation claim against your travel agent. You would also be able to claim compensation against your travel agent if you contracted a form of food poisoning from the hotel restaurant; however, you would not be able to make a holiday injury compensation claim against your travel agent if your accident was caused due to a badly maintained pavement in a local town centre for example. You may still be able to make a claim for compensation but it will be a slightly more complicated process than claiming against a travel agent.

If you have suffered an injury as a result of an accident abroad and would like to know if you have a valid accident compensation claim, complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.

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Claiming Holiday Injury Compensation

Making a claim after an accident on holiday, injury on holiday or illness on holiday

To make a successful holiday injury compensation claim, you would need to prove that another person was responsible for your personal injury (in this case, the travel agent or their representative such as the hotel staff).

To help your personal injury claim, you should report the holiday accident, holiday injury or holiday illness to the staff or your travel representative at the time, make a note of your holiday accident in the accident book, take names and addresses of witnesses to the accident and if possible take photographs of the area where the accident happened.

If you are intending to claim expenses such as prescription costs and travelling expenses, remember to keep receipts as evidence.

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Compensation Claim Advice following a Holiday Accident

Advice from a personal injury lawyer about a holiday injury compensation claim

If you or someone you know has suffered an injury on holiday or developed an illness on holiday, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.

There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim. For further information, contact usor visit our Questions Answered page.

Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for holiday injury compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a holiday injury claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have.

If your claim has to be pursued outside the Courts of England and Wales, we cannot guarantee a no cost service because different rules apply. Each case will be reviewed on its own merits and appropriate advice will be provided before any costs are incurred.

Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.

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News about Holiday Injury Compensation Claims

News Stories about Holiday Accidents, Holiday Illnesses or Holiday Injuries

In the past we have published news stories on our website about clients who have suffered holiday accidents, holiday injuries or holiday illness. To read these, visit our News Desk or follow the links below.

Tour operator admits liability as e-coli wrecks a couple’s dream holiday - In this case a couple booked an all inclusive holiday in the Dominican Republic through Thomas Cook. They only ate food from their hotel and contracted e-coli (a form of food poisoning).

The remainder of their holiday was ruined and they continued to be ill even after returning home.

With help from Thompsons Solicitors' specialist personal injury lawyers, they received £7,000 compensation.

£28,000 payout for injured Swansea holidaymaker - Malcolm Jones, a 53 year old retired Fire Fighter, has won £28,000 compensation following a "holiday from hell" in Spain.

Mr Jones, who took his case for compensation to court had booked a package holiday to the Costa Dorada with the high street travel agents Thomsons. When Mr Jones and his family arrived at the hotel, they were shown to a cramped room with two single beds and a folding camp bed wedged between them.

Despite Mr Jones's complaints to the hotel about the camp bed which was clearly no good for a 5' 8" strapping Fire Fighter, they refused to move the family to another room or provide an alternative bed. To get in and out of the bed, Mr Jones had to sit on the bed and shuffle up and down the length of it. As he was attempting to get off the bed, it collapsed beneath him causing him to crash down through the broken slats onto the floor below. He suffered a serious back injury, ruining the holiday and keeping him out of the fire service for many months.

Centre Parcs take the blame - A 15 year old girl has received £1,400 in compensation after scalding her hand with tea at the Centre Parcs, Sherwood Forest holiday complex.

Charlotte Gott, who was 12 at the time of the accident, had only just arrived at Centre Parcs when she went with her mum to the site's 'Jardin des Sports cafe. After ordering a herbal tea at the counter, Charlotte was handed her drink in a glass cup with a narrow handle. The heat from the glass was so extreme, it made her put it down too quickly, causing the tea to spill out andscald her hand.

Said Charlotte's mum, Mandy: "As well as causing severe pain, the incident ruined a weekend break that Charlotte had been looking forward to. She couldn't take part in any activities and had to have her arm in a sling. The most annoying thing was that at all the other cafes on site, staff put drinks on a tray before handing them to customers."

Luxury cruise liner refuses compensation for injured pensioner - Marguerite Toms, a frail 76 year-old former teacher, was injured when two seamen were helping her to board the QE2 cruise liner in Hawaii. She and her husband were enjoying a world cruise for which they had saved for years and which was part of their 40th wedding anniversary celebrations.

One of the seamen gripped Mrs Toms' arm so tightly as he helped her onto a floating pontoon that he broke her arm when the pontoon lurched suddenly. "I heard the bone crack," Mrs Toms said. "I had asked him not to grip so hard but he ignored me. When I finally got on board I was in so much pain I felt sick."

After the arm was put in plaster Mrs Toms remained in considerable pain and was forced to cancel many of her trips out from the liner. Liability for the accident has been denied ever since by the liner's owners. "The cruise cost nearly £40,000. I had put my entire teacher's pension towards the trip. All I want is an apology for the way I have been treated and some sort of goodwill compensation. And I hope that no other elderly passenger has to go through what I have been through."

Mrs Toms' lawyer Rachel Sarfas, a partner at Thompsons Solicitors, the most experienced personal injury firm in the UK, said: "It is a disgrace that the owners of the QE2 have so far refused to admit that they are responsible for ruining the dream holiday of an elderly couple. Mrs Toms suffered not just physically, but was traumatised by what happened to her. For the distress alone she should be compensated, but so far not so much as an apology has been received."

Scout Association should carry the can for boy's death, parents say - The parents of a boy scout killed on a scouting expedition on Snowdon have called on the Scouting Association to be held responsible for the tragedy.

Their call comes on the morning that Peter Finlay, the scout leader in charge of the expedition, is due to be charged with the manslaughter of their 10-year-old son Jonathan Attwell. Jonathan died falling from the East Ridge of the mountain. He had been walking at the back of the group, while Finlay and the other three adults on the expedition were at the front.

Although Jonathan's parents Martyn and Lynn are relieved that this is happening, they say that the Scout Association must be made to bear responsibility for not checking that the children on the expedition would be safe. The association failed to check where Finlay was taking the group and whether he was qualified to take it.

Finlay had not passed the leadership exams to take groups on to the more difficult mountain ranges and his first aid certificate had run out. "We are very angry with the Scout Association which has so far failed to admit that its lack of checks caused the death of our son," the Attwells said. "We believe it had a duty to ensure that our son would be safe and we would obviously never have let him go on the expedition if we had known that the necessary checks had not been made."

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Client Testimonials after Holiday Injury

Testimonials from clients who have received holiday injury compensation

Over £3,000 holiday injury compensation for Union member

"I work for a local council in East Yorkshire. My accident happened in May 2006 whilst my husband and I were on a cruise on the Queen Mary 2 to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The cruise ship was owned and operated by Cunard and we were travelling from Southampton to Norway on what should have been a dream holiday.

"Whilst taking in the sights on my balcony early on the first morning on board, a sheet of glass fell down towards me from a deck above. The glass on impact missed me by inches and I fell backwards to the ground, injuring my right wrist and right side. I'd never been on a cruise before and I was left frightened by what happened. The same morning on board there was also a person murdered on the ship. These incidents ruined my holiday.

"As an active union member I contacted UNISON who immediately put me in touch with Thompsons Solicitors who made placing a claim so easy for me! It was quick and most of the contact was from my home phone and my PC.

"Having gone through this experience I found Thompsons to be very friendly, which enabled me to soon build up a good rapport with my solicitor. If there was something I didn't understand or was unsure of, she explained it. She was responsive and very effective. With the solicitors support, I secured just over £3,000 compensation which I was pleased with.

"Above all, this proves just how valuable and important having union membership is today when things go wrong, because it not only covers injuries sustained while on holiday, it also covers accidents at work.

"Having gone through this experience I'll certainly recommend Thompsons to colleagues!"

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Advice for people travelling abroad on holiday

Useful advice for anyone taking a holiday abroad

If you suffer from a holiday accident, holiday injury or holiday illness whilst abroad, the last thing you may want to hear is that you have to pay for your own medical treatment; however, in most countries around the world you will have to pay for any medical treatment you receive.

The United Kingdom has set up agreements with some countries, which enables travellers to receive free or low cost emergency care if they are involved in an accident on holiday or suffer an illness on holiday.

Before you travel, you should apply for a European Health Insurance Card. The card is free to apply for and should be taken with you on your holiday abroad.

The European Health Insurance card is valid for use in:

Austria, Belgium, Cyprus (but not Northern Cyprus), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

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