Holidays are a fantastic occasion. We get to relax and take our mind off the stress and problems that we encounter on a daily basis at work and at home. Whether it’s a sunny beach off the coast of Barbados or a winter paradise up north in Lapland, there’s a dream holiday for everyone.
Unfortunately, that dream can turn into a nightmare if you have an accident—especially if it wasn’t your fault. When going on holiday, we usually don’t plan for these situations because we don’t want to have stress on our minds, but it can happen at any moment. It might be food poisoning from a street vendor that you ate at, or you could have slipped on the floor at a luxurious spa. But what do you do when you get into an accident abroad?
Remain Calm, Accept Help From Strangers
It’s important to never go overboard when an accident happens. Never scream or shout, never argue with people involved, and stay calm until you get professional help. If you’ve slipped or fallen on the ground, then accept help from people even if they unwillingly caused it to happen. You don’t want to cause a ruckus in a foreign country if you don’t understand the language, and their customs and courtesy could be different to what you’re used to at home.
Contact Local Authorities and a Hospital
Unless you’re at a holiday in a remote location, most countries have emergency services that can speak fluent English. You’ll be able to communicate with them and tell them your issues. Explain what happened at the accident so they get a good idea on how to help you and make sure you visit a hospital to get treated for any injuries. If you’ve suffered an injury that wasn’t your fault, then fully-accredited law firms can be of vital importance to prevent a stressful holiday.
Find the Source of Food Poisoning
If you have an upset stomach, then try to think what you ate that might have caused it. Most of the time, if you consume contaminated food then there’s a short delay before you encounter symptoms. If you just finished eating a meal and feel pains in your stomach, then it’s most likely not caused by what you just ate, but something that you had a couple of days ago. Make sure to follow the same hygiene guidelines that you have at home. Wash your hands between meals, make sure to use plenty of soap, and try to avoid places that don’t look very hygienic unless you’re an adventurous eater that knows the consequences.
Keep Records for When You Get Home
You need to write down the names of people involved in your accident. If possible, take down their addresses and phone numbers if they’re willing to cooperate. Photographs are also important, and any reports that you receive from the hospital should be kept. You can use this as evidence to build a compensation claim when you get home. If the healthcare wasn’t free in the country, then you may be able to claim those expenses back or extra compensation if it was a serious accident.