How to Avoid Personal Injuries on Your Vacation

Vacation is a time of relaxation and rejuvenation for your mind and body, as well as filled with various exciting, memorable, and sometimes even somewhat dangerous activities. But unfortunately, your vacation may be cut short because of being unexpectedly injured by someone else’s negligence, causing medical bills, property damage, the forfeiture of vacation deposits, and other financial losses.

You should contact a personal injury lawyer if you’re unsure whether you may recover any financial losses from your injury while on vacation. They will tell you if you may be compensated due to the circumstances that caused your injury and guide you through any insurance claims process.

Types of Injuries You Might Get on Vacation

According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT), vehicle accidents are the most common source of personal injuries while traveling abroad. In addition, ASIRT found that 20 to 50 million people suffer non-fatal injuries, most resulting in long-term disabilities, and 1.3 million die yearly from accidents while on vacation. 

Staying at a hotel or other type of property that is not properly maintained may cause slip-and-fall accidents or tripping hazards. For example, if employees do not keep traffic areas dry, well-lit, or debris-free, this may be a hazard to people staying there. Also, when staying on vacation premises, you have reason to expect adequate security to prevent criminal acts that injure you.

Vacation is a time for not only relaxation but adventure too. Excursion activities such as horseback riding, zip-lining, snorkeling, and kayaking are activities that you should have a reasonable expectation of safety while enjoying these pursuits. The proprietors should adequately maintain the equipment to minimize the chances of injuries. Any excursion activity that includes animals should have properly trained animals or protections established for public safety. 

Food poisoning is a concern when on vacation too. Whether you’re enjoying culture-rich cuisine abroad or local restaurants along the beach, perishable foods may harm your vacation if not stored or cooked correctly.  

How to Avoid Common Vacation Injuries

Unfortunately, vehicle accidents may happen unexpectedly and sometimes cannot be avoided. However, there are ways to reduce chances of an accident, especially when driving on a long road trip to and from your vacation destination. Some tips include:

• Ensure your vehicle is in good working order days before your vacation starts
• Set up your GPS before driving if it doesn’t activate by voice
• Avoid distractions
• Stay awake and alert
• Let other passengers share the driving if possible
• Don’t drive in bad weather

Obeying the local road laws and paying attention to road signs in unfamiliar places is another way to decrease the chances of being in a car accident when on vacation. Speed limits change from state to state and in other countries, and terrains vary from the flat open road to more mountainous and full of twists and turns.

When you choose where to stay, what activities to participate in, and where you will eat, talk to people who have been where you are going. They will tell you the best places to go based on their experiences. Also, read reviews on the businesses you are considering. The reviews will inform you whether other vacationers had more good experiences than bad ones.

What to Do if You Get Injured on Vacation

If it’s unfortunate that you are injured while on vacation, you need to take steps to make sure a documentation process is started. Documentation will determine whether the negligence of others caused your injury and if you should be compensated. If an injury occurs, here is what you should do:

• Seek medical treatment to document your injuries
• Notify managers or owners of establishments that an injury has occurred
• Collect information from those who were involved in the incident and any witnesses
• Depending on the situation, file an insurance claim, whether health or auto
• Follow the local doctor’s orders and visit your doctor when you get home
• Refrain from discussing your thoughts on what may have happened with the establishment staff or the doctor

After following these steps, hire an attorney to help file claims with insurance companies. Because personal injury laws differ from state to state and in other countries, you will need an attorney to guide you through the process of being compensated for your losses.

Get a Free Consultation About Your Injuries From Northeast Texas Personal Injury Attorney Dale R. Rose

If you’ve been injured while on vacation due to someone else’s negligence, you should seek a free consultation from Dale R. Rose. He understands the frustration you must feel having your vacation ruined and the financial strain that has resulted from your injury.

Dale Rose will fight for maximum compensation in the shortest time so that you may continue to heal without worries. With his years of experience in personal injury law, he will find the best way to represent you successfully. To find out if you will be compensated for your injuries, contact Dale R. Rose at (972) 634-ROSE (7673) or complete the contact form for your free consultation today.