Denmark Holiday Accident Claims Guide - How To Claim Compensation For A Personal Injury In Denmark?

Find Out What Should You Do After An Accident On Holiday In Denmark

The home of the Vikings and the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid, Denmark has a lot of offer visitors from across the world. Every year thousands of British tourists visit Denmark to enjoy the northern European country’s stunning cities, picturesque towns and villages together as well as the gorgeous Danish countryside. Your holiday might be a foodies getaway to a city with some of the world’s best restaurants which includes Copenhagen’s famous Noma, or a countryside retreat. For the most part, people enjoy a wonderful experience during a visit to Denmark. However, this might not always be the case.

For some people, their trip could be cut short by an accident on holiday in Denmark. This guide explores what can happen to people visiting a destination abroad, how you may suffer an injury or develop a holiday-related illness, what actions should be taken, and how you may be able to claim accident on holiday in Denmark compensation.

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Can I Claim If I Had Food Poisoning Or Food Allergies On Holiday?
Illnesses Caused By Poor Hygiene
Car And Road Crash Accident Claims
Injury Due To Inadequate Hotel Maintenance
Most Common Accidents On Holiday
Package Holidays And City Break Accident Claims
How To Claim Damages For Accidents On Holiday
Calculating Compensation For Accidents On Holiday In Denmark
Where You Can Find Out More?

A Guide to Holiday Accidents And Illnesses In Denmark

Whilst most people visiting destinations like Aarhus or Copenhagen experience enjoyable trips, for others a Danish holiday could involve an accident, illness, or injury. You could have a simple slip by the hotel swimming pool, eat improperly prepared food, or be injured by broken furniture in your hotel room. This guide looks at how you can take steps to avoid many of the ways people get hurt on holiday, and it provides valuable advice on what to do if things do go wrong when on holiday in Denmark.

Getting Ill Or Injured In A Danish Holiday Accident

If you are involved in an accident or suffer an injury when abroad, there are some simple steps you can and should take to make sure you receive help you need it the most. This can help ensure that you can make a holiday accident claim on arrival back in the UK after visiting Denmark:

Seek medical care and attention
Make a note of any witnesses and get their contact details
Take a photo or gather other evidence of what happened to you
Contact the service provider who could be held responsible or at fault
Notify your travel insurance provider
Keep records of everything associated with costs, through to copies of any medical reports which you must request

An important step to take after an accident or illness on holiday in Denmark, is to establish who would be deemed responsible for your accident, and who you could make a claim against.

Who Was At Fault In You Accident On Holiday In Denmark?

If you have an accident on holiday in Denmark and want to file a personal injury claim, you first need to establish who could be held responsible for your accident, injury, or illness. You would need to look at the accident, injury, or illness to establish the cause. Did you get food poisoning or a food allergy from some food or drink at a restaurant in your hotel, were you injured during a flight to Denmark, or did you suffer a swimming pool injury or develop a holiday-related illness. Next, it is important to establish whether you were on a package holiday or an independent holiday.

If you were on a package holiday, you would have additional protections under the UK’s package travel regulations. If any of the providers of your package deal are to blame, the package holiday operator could be held accountable. This guide covers this situation further down in the post which provides essential information on how to claim compensation against the package holiday company.

If you were on an independently booked holiday, you would need to make a holiday compensation claim against the specific third party responsible your accident, injury, or illness when you were on holiday in Denmark.

What Should I Do If I Am In An Accident Abroad?

If you have had an accident, illness or injury abroad, you may wonder what to do next. The first thing to do, whether you had a case of food poisoning, or were injured in a road traffic accident, is always to get whatever medical care and attention that you need as soon as possible.

Once your health has been taken care of, you must notify all parties who need to be informed of what happened to you. This means telling the party who could be held responsible, such as a hotel or restaurant. If you are on a package holiday and the package company could be deemed responsible, you must contact the tour operator or a local representative. They should then try and help provide an immediate resolution where possible. You should also make sure a written report is compiled.

Next, you should notify your travel insurance provider. They may be able to organise the medical care you need, or help you return to the UK if necessary.

Once back home in the UK, you should contact a personal injury solicitor so they can help you start your claim. You can find a no win no fee legal specialist at the bottom of this guide.

Where Do You Get Help In Denmark?

If you have an accident on holiday in Denmark, you may wonder where you can help in the event of food poisoning, a food allergy, or whiplash. If you have an accident on a package holiday, you should contact the holiday company. Let them know what has happened to you, and find out what assistance they can provide to you.

In an emergency, you can contact the Danish emergency services. To do so, Dial 112, and ask for the service you require, fire, ambulance, or police. You can expect a very good level of care in Danish hospitals and from the Danish healthcare system as a whole. You may be able to use your EHIC in Denmark if you need emergency medical care. You could also present your travel insurance policy.

You should contact your travel insurance provider as early as possible. They may be able to organise your medical care, or help you to get back to the UK. They may also be able to help settle any medical bills you incur whilst you are in Denmark. Make sure you keep a copy of their phone number together with the insurance policy number.

Finally, in case of a serious injury, fatality, or very serious circumstances, you could contact the British Embassy in Copenhagen. In the next section, you will find what held and assistance they may be able to provide.

What Services Can The British Embassy In Copenhagen Provide?

The British Embassy are able to provide help and support to British Nationals in cases of fatal accidents, serious injuries, and similarly serious circumstances. If you are hospitalised, the British Embassy should contact you within 24 hours to find out your condition. They can help with letting people in the UK know what has happened to you. They may also be able to coordinate your medical care and liaise with your insurance company. However, they cannot pay for your healthcare in Denmark. In extreme situations, the Embassy may be able to organise emergency repatriation to the UK, however, you would need to repay these costs to the British Government.

Consular services are available from the British Embassy in Copenhagen as directed below;

British Embassy Copenhagen
Kastelsvej 36-40
DK-2100 Copenhagen
Denmark

Telephone: +45 35 44 52 00
Website: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-copenhagen

Having Travel Insurance Is Important For Tourists

Having travel insurance is very important for anyone travelling abroad, whether to Denmark or to any other locations. There are several very good reasons as to why you should have travel insurance. Firstly, your policy can help you to access healthcare provided to visitor to Denmark and it may work in tandem with your EHIC for Denmark.

A travel insurance policy can help you in the event of an accident on a package holiday, or in a wide variety of other circumstances. Your policy can protect you from medical costs beyond those covered by an EHIC card. Travel insurance could also help with getting you back to the UK if you require additional help, such as emergency situations or where you cannot take your original flight due to the injuries or illness you suffered while on holiday in Denmark.

Travel insurance is also helpful in situations where your trip is disrupted in any way. If your flight is delayed or cancelled and you need emergency accommodation, this may often be organised and covered by the travel insurance provider. Without such insurance in place, you may find that you have to pay for these expenses out of your own pocket, before being able to reclaim them as part of a personal injury claim later on where possible.

Make sure that your insurance company provides cover for a variety of different circumstances. And when you are back in the UK, you should find out if you can make a holiday compensation claim by contacting a personal injury lawyer.

Popular Places To Go In Denmark

When we think of trips to Denmark, most of us will think of city breaks in Copenhagen where you could visit the Tivoli Gardens, see the Little Mermaid statue, and the famous harbour area. But there are a wealth of other destinations to visit in Denmark.

There are other great destinations for city breaks which includes Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense, the fairytale town and home of Hans Christian Andersen, as well as the historical island of Fyn. You can also explore the West Coast of Zealand, home to Viking heritage sites in places like Roskilde where you would find Viking ruins and even, Viking ship replicas!

Some of the most popular places to visit in Denmark include:

Copenhagen, capital of Denmark
Bornholm Island
Odense, the fairytale town
The Danish Riviera of North Zealand
Fyn Island
Roskilde, a historical city
North, South, and West Jutland coast
South Zealand
Aarhus
Aalborg

The table below provides information of where visitors to Denmark commonly come from:

Rank	Country	Number of bednights in 2016
1	Germany	14.8 million
2	Norway	2.5 million
3	Sweden	1.8 million
4	Holland	1.2 million
5	UK	899,000
6	USA	632,000
7	Italy	342,000
8	France	245,000
9	China	221,000
10	India

Common Sickness On Holiday In Denmark

Some of the most common illnesses on a Danish holiday, which you may mean you need to access Denmark healthcare for tourists are as follows. You can find more information on these, the risks of contracting such illness, and what to do if you do suffer them in this NHS Fit For Travel guide.

Hepatitis A: you could contract this infection through contaminated food or water, or by person to person. It can also be caused by poor hygiene
Hepatitis B: this is much harder to contract, and is spread through blood or blood products. However, it is possible to contract this through dirty medical instruments
Tetanus: cuts and open wounds can become contaminated. If you suspect tetanus, you might require a tetanus booster shot
Tick-borne Encephalitis: this is spread through infected tick bites. You are much more likely to experience this illness in summer and whilst outside in the countryside

There are other types of illness which a personal injury solicitor could help you to claim compensation for if you suffer them when on holiday in Denmark. Check the NHS website for the latest updates on what illness you may contract in Denmark, and what precautions you should take.

Can I Claim If I Had Food Poisoning Or Food Allergies On Holiday?

Food poisoning, or exposure to food allergens are two of the most common types of illness that people can experience when they are on holiday anywhere in the world, and destinations in Europe are no exception. However, looking out for some simple signs and taking a few precautions can help you avoid suffering the ill effects of food poisoning.

Some of the most common causes of food related illness include the following:

Foods not cooked properly or thoroughly, or to the right temperature. This could mean that harmful bacteria are still present in the food when served
Similarly, reheated food, or which has not been kept at the right temperature (an example being on a buffet table) can cause of food poisoning. If food from a buffet is not hot or cold enough, or it is not at the temperature, you should avoid eating it
Food that has not been properly stored can also cause illness because it allows bacteria to flourish
Dining areas, food preparation areas, or utensils may be unclean and unhygienic

Any of these circumstances both individually or when combined can lead to illness. You could also get ill, suffer from the effects of an allergic reaction if you are served foods and not been told what they contain

Illnesses Caused By Poor Hygiene

As mentioned above, unhygienic conditions in food storage, preparation, or when it is served, could lead to instances of food poisoning. But, there are other forms of illness which could be caused by poor hygiene practices in the hotel you stay at in Denmark. Whether it involves the cleanliness of a hotel room, the swimming pool, or other parts of the hotel grounds, staff can be under pressure to get things finished as quickly as possible. In some cases, this could lead to staff and management cutting corners in order to meet targets.

If proper procedures or cleaning products are not used to clean a swimming pool, the hotel can quickly find that a large number of guests fall ill during their stay. If you became sick because of poor hygiene practices in your hotel, you should immediately notify them. Make sure your illness is recorded in their report book. You must also notify any relevant holiday companies and travel insurance providers that you became sick and needed medical care which you should do as soon as possible.

Car And Road Crash Accident Claims

If you are in Denmark, you might want to hire a bike, moped, or car. Getting around Danish cities on two wheels rather than four. is very popular. However, this does not mean you can’t still be involved in a road traffic accident. Tourists could be injured when cycling in Denmark, in car accidents, and in motorcycle accidents. If you are involved in any of these, you might need to contact the emergency services to report your accident and get help for any injuries you suffered like whiplash. You can contact the Danish emergency services on 112.

In the event of an injury abroad on the road, you should always contact the emergency services and make sure you have properly reported your accident and any injuries you suffered. Healthcare in Denmark for visitors is excellent and you should expect to be treated extremely well.

Injury Due To Inadequate Hotel Maintenance

There have been horror stories in the news about people going on holiday and finding a resort or a hotel which is incomplete or which is undergoing substantial renovation. In short, it means staying in an area which is partially a building site. This can cause circumstances that lead to holiday-related injuries. At the same time, if proper maintenance has not been carried out, then parts of a hotel may have become dangerous for guests and members of the public to use.

If you find that your hotel is not adequately maintained, or if parts of it are undergoing renovation which caused you harm in some way, you could have grounds to make a claim with a personal injury lawyer when you get back to the UK. If this is the case in the Danish hotel you stayed at, you should be extra vigilant when in any affected areas and avoid any obvious hazards.

Most Common Accidents On Holiday

There are a limitless number of ways you could be injured whilst abroad on holiday in Denmark. Whilst there are lots of different ways that people could be injured but there are some which are much more common than others. This includes sustaining whiplash in a car accident.

The most common types of accident on holiday which people suffer and which could meant they could make a no win no fee holiday accident claim for include the following:

Slips, trips and falls
Instances of heatstroke and sunburn
Road accidents (such as motorcycle accidents and cycling accidents)
Accidents on excursions and on sporting events

Other common accidents can include accidents at the airport and during your flight, and accidents in a swimming pool or similar leisure facilities in your hotel. You can find more information on different types of holiday accidents from a personal injury lawyers firm.

Package Holidays And City Break Accident Claims

If you suffered an accident on a package holiday like a city break where you booked your hotel and transport in a single package, you could be eligible for additional protection under the UK’s package travel and tour regulations. You can find out about the latest Package Travel Regulations which apply from 1st July 2018 in this guide from ABTA. These updates expand the definition of what a package holiday is and expands this protection to more people.

In general, to get protection under these regulations, your holiday should have included two of the following:

At least one night’s accommodation and a trip lasting for 48 hours
Transportation, such as a flight, ferry journey, or train which includes taking the Eurostar international service
Additional services like tours, food and drinks, sports activities, and excursions

How To Claim Damages For Accidents On Holiday

The first thing to do when you get back to the UK is to start your claim for an accident on holiday in Denmark. You should make sure that you do not delay in doing so, as there may well be different personal injury claims time limits which could apply in the UK. Make sure that you take legal advice before you agree to any compensation or settlement from the holiday operator involved. If you do accept anything before making your claim, you may not then be able to make a holiday accident claim further down the line.

Find a no win no fee personal injury solicitor who can help you make a holiday accident claim. By using a specialist solicitor, you would not have to make any payments for their services till you are awarded a final settlement from the defendant.

Make sure that your solicitor is experienced in helping people get compensation for accidents abroad. Read reviews of their services and look at whether people were happy with the settlements they received.

Calculating Compensation For Accidents On Holiday In Denmark

There are many holiday accident and illness personal injury claim calculators available on the web. This guides provides a ballpark idea of how much personal injury compensation you could be awarded if injured or you fell sick in Denmark, bearing in mind the figures are provided as a guideline only:

Reason for making a claim	How much you could be awarded
Anticipated (and already lost) earnings & income	£10,000 to £400,000
Anticipated (and already lost) benefits income	£5,000 to £500,000
Mental anguish and/ or suffering	£3,550
Minor injuries - these will get better in less than 7 days/ 1 week.	up to £525
Minor injuries - these will get better in less than 28 days	£525 to £1,050
Minor injuries - these will get better in less than 3 months.	£1,050 to £1,860
Minor - back injury	up to £9,500
Moderate - back injury	£9,500 to £21,100
Minor -shoulder injury	up to £6,000
Moderate - shoulder injury	£6,000 to £9,700
Serious - shoulder injury	£9,700 to £14,600
Severe - shoulder injury	£14,600 to £36,500

The figures in this table are taken from the Judicial College guidelines. The College produces guidelines which are used by solicitors and courts to set how much compensation a person could claim.

Where You Can Find Out More?

This guide provides valuable information on what to do and where to get help in the event of an accident or illness when on holiday in Denmark. However, you might still have questions, or want to find out more detail about specific points highlighted in this guide. As such, you can find more information below:

Legal Expert Holiday Accident Claims Guide
We recommend using the personal injury solicitors at Legal Expert to make your no win no fee holiday accident claim. Find out more about their services in this guide.

British Government Travel Advice For Denmark
This is the main Foreign and Commonwealth Office guide for visitors to Denmark. The page is regularly updated with everything travellers need to know and any specific or timely information.

NHS Healthcare Guide
This is the main NHS guide on healthcare in Denmark. You can also find further information about accessing emergency healthcare and possible changes to the EHIC system after March 29th 2019.

Edited Honey 22/1/20

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Denmark Holiday Accident Claims Guide – How To Claim Compensation For A Personal Injury In Denmark?