Holiday illness
Each year thousands of UK holidaymakers suffer some kind of illness while on holiday. Some of these illnesses may be relatively minor, however others may be more severe and can lead to ongoing health problems after the holiday is over.
If you have contracted an illness abroad then you may be able to bring a claim for compensation.
Food poisoning and sickness due to lack of hygiene are typical examples of illnesses frequently experienced by holidaymakers abroad. It is important to seek medical assistance as soon as possible whilst abroad and not wait until you return home from holiday. If you suffered an illness due to an outbreak of food poisoning or sickness due to poor hygiene in your hotel, it is important to obtain the contact details of fellow tourists who may be similarly affected, which will support your claim.
Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to bring a claim in the UK against the tour operator if you are travelling on a package holiday. In this type of case, the time limit for bringing a compensation claim is 3 years from the date of the accident.
In other cases, a claim may be made in the country where the incident causing the illness happened.
Legal advice should be sought as soon as possible as some countries have very short time limits for bringing a claim. In the UK it is up to 3 years from the date of the incident by which court proceedings must be issued, however in some countries it can be as little as 1 year.
For free advice, contact Bolt Burdon Kemp’s expert personal injury solicitors and let us assess your claim online.
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