Holiday Accident Claims

Accidents often happen while getting on or getting off ships. Passengers and crew can also be injured in any number of ways on board. If an accident that causes injury is the fault of a ship’s crew or its operator, you could be entitled to compensation.

Thankfully, much like in the UK, there are usually laws in place to help people injured in accidents overseas.  The law around seeking compensation can differ from country to country, and the procedure may be different depending on whether you were on holiday or working abroad.  In either situation, we have the expertise to help you.  If accidents take place in different countries, then there may be different time limits that have to be adhered to, and we will ensure that you receive sufficient advise in relation to these periods.

Each personal injury claim is different and the amount of recoverable compensation will depend upon the severity of your injuries, whether you are partly responsible for the accident, how much you have lost in earnings and whether you have made a recovery or whether you require further treatment.
 
Please click our personal injury compensation calculator to obtain further information about personal injury damages.

If your claim is successful you will receive one total sum that is arrived at by combining two heads of damage, namely general damages and special damages. General damages is an award of money that is given to you purely in relation to the injury you have suffered and takes into account pain and suffering, loss of amenity, severity of injury and whether any ongoing treatment and care is required.
 
Special damages are all those losses and expenses you have incurred as a direct result of the accident including loss of earnings, loss of pension, medical treatment, ongoing care and rehabilitation, travel expenses and modifications to your home.

The time limits for claiming for personal injury compensation differ widely between countries. Please ensure you contact us as soon as possible after your accident has taken place to make sure your claim is successful.

You can claim damages to reflect the injury that you have sustained. This is known as general damages and takes into account pain, suffering, loss of amenity, how seriously injured you are and whether you have made a full recovery or not.
 
Any compensation claim would also include any financial losses you have suffered including loss of earnings, loss of pension, costs of medical treatment and travel expenses and costs of any rehabilitation and care, if needed.

Serious injuries are those which will have a long-term effect and are life-changing. Compensation for these injuries must take into account:

• Rehabilitation needs
• Long-term care and support
• Loss of earnings and pensions if you are no longer able to work or cannot perform the same job
• Moving to a new home or making adaptations to your existing home

Serious injury claims usually take a few years to bring to a conclusion. However, it is possible for us to obtain interim compensation payments before the conclusion of your claim, to help pay for any treatment you require. These payments are available if the responsible party admits fault for your injury. The final settlement will depend upon a number of factors including whether you have made a full recovery or not. Our specialist lawyers will make sure that your compensation is calculated to take into account all relevant factors.

The value of your claim depends on a number of factors but generally there are two categories:

1. Compensation for your Personal Injury
2. Compensation for your financial losses

We will help you understand the likely level of compensation you could receive providing:

• A full assessment of the extent of your injuries
• The type of injury sustained
• Your symptoms and their duration
• Advice on what can be claimed for

There are many ways of funding your personal injury case and we will advise you of the best option. We offer a genuine “NO WIN NO FEE” agreement and if you choose this arrangement you should have nothing to pay if your claim is unsuccessful.

We will also consider obtaining an insurance policy to be in place to pay your opponents costs should you be required to pay anything. If there is ever a situation whereby you may be required to pay something you will be advised of this possibility well in advance so that you can avoid it arising should you wish to do so.