How to deal with an injury on holiday

An injury is the fastest way to ruin a great holiday and if you are seriously injured in a country that you aren’t familiar with, it can be very scary. You don’t know what the healthcare system is like, you’re wondering how you’re going to get home, and you don’t always have your family and friends there to support you. But as long as you know how to deal with the situation in the right way, you can get home as quickly as possible and start your recovery. If you are planning a holiday in the near future, it’s important that you have an action plan in case of injury. Here’s what you should do if you get injured on holiday. 

Via

Contact Your Insurance Company 

Travel insurance is so important because it will protect you in the event of an injury and help you avoid some hefty medical bills. Unfortunately, a lot of people neglect travel insurance because they don’t think they will need it. It’s rare that you will get injured on holiday but it can happen and if you don’t have insurance, you’ll find yourself in a very difficult position. So, make sure that insurance is on your pre-travel checklist and you get a comprehensive policy that covers all of your medical expenses. If you do get injured, you need to call up your insurance company right away and let them know, so you can make sure that you don’t get landed with a huge bill. 

Report The Incident 

There are a few reasons why it’s important to report the incident at the location where it happened. Firstly, it stops other people from getting injured in the same way. For example, if you slipped over in a hotel lobby and injured yourself, you should let the manager know so they can make the area safe for others. The other reason that it’s important is that it leaves a paper trail. You may decide that you want to hire an exceptionally skilled injury lawyer and make a personal injury claim if you believe that the injury was somebody else’s fault. In that case, you need to gather evidence and you will need a formal record of the injury. 

Organize Travel Home 

Once you are out of the hospital and you are starting to make a recovery, you need to organize travel home. When you take out an insurance policy, you should always check that they will cover your flight home in the event of an injury. The sooner you let your insurance company know about the situation, the sooner they can get you back home again. 

See Your Doctor At Home 

Even though you received treatment while you were away, it’s important that you see your GP when you get back, especially if it was a serious injury. The quality of healthcare varies in different countries and you may not get the treatment that you need, so it’s important that you seek medical advice when you get home as well. 

Nobody expects to get injured on holiday until it happens, which is why you need to be prepared and follow these steps if the worst does happen. 

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this post was written with the Life According to Steph audience in mind