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

Have You Been Injured While Abroad In Menorca?

This guide provides essential reading, advice and recommendations on how to file a compensation claim for an accident on holiday in Menorca. Nobody likes to think about being involved in an accident or becoming ill while on holiday but unfortunately, holiday accidents do happen.

The guide provides information on the ways a UK holidaymaker can come to harm while overseas, and also takes a look at the process of making a compensation claim if you develop an illness or are injured in an accident on holiday in Menorca.

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A Guide Holiday Accident Claims In Menorca
What Happens When You Get Sick Or Injured On Holiday?
Who Could I Make A Personal Injury Claim For An Accident Abroad Against?
What Do I Do If I Was Injured Or Ill Abroad?
Where British Tourists Can Get Help In Menorca
What Help Can The British Consulate Provide In Emergencies?
Why You Should Have An EHIC Card And Travel Insurance?
What Are The Popular Destinations In Menorca?
Common Types Of Illness In Menorca
Compensation For Food Poisoning And Food Allergy Reactions
Can Poor Hotel Cleanliness Cause Illnesses?
Accidents On The Road And Car Crashes
Accidents Due To A Poorly Maintained Or Unfinished Hotel
Common Types Of Injury In Menorca
Menorca Package Holiday Accident Claims
How Do I Make A Menorca Holiday Accident Personal Injury Claim?
Menorca Accident And Illness Compensation Calculator
Additional Resources

A Guide Holiday Accident Claims In Menorca

The first thing you need to know is that there will be a time limit in place when making a personal injury claim after falling ill or being injured in a holiday accident in Menorca, because you must file a case within the deadline. In general, this time limit is 3 years but it could differ and be much shorter. As such, it is best to check with a solicitor to be sure that you are within the time limit associated with your particular claim. The guide includes includes the following:

A general overview of what happens when you become ill or suffer an injury while you are on holiday in Menorca which Includes a list of the most common claims
Information related to the third parties who could be liable for the injury/illness you suffered and who you may be able to claim against
A list of the steps you should take while still overseas in preparation for for making a compensation claim once you have returned home to the UK after your holiday
Information on the different places that UK citizens can go for help and advice while they are overseas which includes information on where you could receive medical treatment
The contact details to local UK Government representatives, as well as an explanation of the kinds of assistance that the UK provides for its citizens when they are injured or ill abroad
An explanation of how the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) works should it still be applicable after Brexit, and how it could help you get the medical attention you need if you have been injured or fall sick while you are on holiday in Menorca
A list of many of the most popular destinations for UK holidaymakers who visit Menorca.
A general overview of the most common types of illnesses that UK holidaymakers come down with while they are overseas in Menorca, and how they are caused
A discussion on whether or not a poorly maintained and unhygienic hotel, could be the cause do holiday illnesses while in Menorca
Information relating to road traffic accidents involving UK citizens while they are on holiday overseas, and how to claim for the harm suffered
Accidents and injuries suffered by residents in a badly maintained hotel, or still under construction
A list of the most common types of injuries that UK holidaymakers sustain while on holiday overseas in Menorca
A general introduction to the process of making a compensation claim for an injury or illness suffered while on holiday and how a personal injury solicitor could assist you
A table that details the typical examples of compensation awarded for different injuries

What Happens When You Get Sick Or Injured On Holiday?

The graph above shows how busy Menorca airport is. If you suffer an injury abroad, the steps you should follow would depend on the injury or illnesses itself. However, in general, providing a third party is at least partially to blame for the harm that you have suffered, you may have grounds to file a personal injury claim to seek compensation. The most common types of holiday accident claims involve the following:

Road traffic accidents
Slips, trips and falls
Food-related illnesses such as food poisoning or allergic reactions to food
Accidents that happen during day trips and excursions
Accidents that happen while enjoying water sports or other adventure activities
Accidents that happen at a hotel, either in a hotel room or using the hotel facilities

The graph below takes a closer look at many of these types of accidents and injuries in their own sections:

Who Could I Make A Personal Injury Claim For An Accident Abroad Against?

When making an accident abroad personal injury claim, establishing who could be held liable is essential. The responsibility could fall to the following:

Your package holiday vendor – if you booked your trip in the UK, through a UK registered travel company
The hotel chain – if the hotel operator was the cause of your injury or illness
An airline – if you were injured at the airport, or while in-flight to or from your holiday destination
A restaurant, café or fast food outlet – if you contract a food-related illness like food poisoning
A bus or coach company – if you are injured in a road traffic accident

Any third party who could be held partially responsible for causing you harm while you are on holiday, could potentially be pursued for compensation.

What Do I Do If I Was Injured Or Ill Abroad?

If you have come down with an illness in Menorca, or have suffered an injury on holiday, there are a number of things that you can do which would maximise your chances of making a successful compensation claim once you return home to the UK which includes the following:

Make sure you visit a hospital or clinic to have your injuries checked over and treated so that you have a medical report
If you are on a package holiday, you must inform your tour operator that you have been injured or become ill
If you are injured in a criminal act such as assault, or in a serious accident such as a car crash, ensure that the police are involved and get an incident number
If you intend to use your travel or health insurance to pay for treatment while overseas, make sure you notify them in advance
Begin to document all of the losses you suffer due to your illness or injury as these could be claimed in special damages

When you return home, these steps will help to ensure that a personal injury solicitor;s task of proving liability is made easier which in turn, could help speed up the process of reaching a final settlement.

Where British Tourists Can Get Help In Menorca

If you were involved in a Balearic Island holiday accident, you need to know how to get help while you are overseas. Getting hold of the emergency services in Spain is easy. Simply dial 112 from any phone which includes from a UK cell phone. When you dial 112, an English-speaking operator would assist you, and send out the emergency services you need. Other ways to get help in Spain include:

The local representative of your travel or package holiday company
The healthcare services in Spain (more in this below)
The insurance firm that provides your travel insurance
The UK Government (more in this below)

These are all good places to start looking for help and advice while you are on holiday overseas.

What Help Can The British Consulate Provide In Emergencies?

If you were injured while abroad in Menorca, the British Embassy could provide help in certain circumstances. For example, the embassy or consulate must be informed of any fatal accidents that involved UK citizens abroad. It can also help you with emergency medical repatriation following a serious injury. The UK Government would not generally provide help for trivial matters that you could resolve yourself, such as theft of money, or helping you to get basic medical treatment. You can contact the UK Government in Spain, here:

British Consulate Palma de Mallorca

Carrer Convent dels Caputxins, 4

Edificio Orisba B 4ºD

07002 Palma de Mallorca

Spain

Telephone: +34 93 366 6200

Website: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-palma-de-mallorca

The consulate also provides some great advice for people visiting Spain at this link:

UK travel advice for Spain

Why You Should Have An EHIC Card And Travel Insurance?

You are entitled to free holiday accident insurance as a UK citizen although you would not be fully covered but you mayt be entitled to a free or reduced costs for medical treatment in Menorca if you hold a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The UK has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with a long list of European countries. However, this may not apply after Brexit.

If you don’t have an EHIC, then you would need to pay for the cost of medical care in some other way. However, it is essential that you take out travel insurance policy which offers you a lot more protection in many ways which includes if you fall ill or are injured in an accident on holiday in Menorca. Medial fees are high in Spain, and if you don’t have a valid insurance policy to cover them, you would have to pay them out of your own pocket.

What Are The Popular Destinations In Menorca?

Menorca is a very popular destination for UK holidaymakers, with locations and resort towns such as these below being the places most visited by UK tourists:

Ciutadella de Menorca
Mahón
Son Bou
Fornells, Minorca
Cala En Porter
Binibeca
Cala en Bosc
Sant Tomàs
Es Castell
Cala Blanca

No matter where you are injured while on holiday in Menorca, as long as a third party is at least partially or fully responsible, a personal injury solicitor should be able to help you to make a claim. Below, we have also included statistics for where visitors to Spain.

Period	Total number of visitors to the Balearic Islands
2016	12.99 million
2015	11.65 million
2014	11.37 million
2013	11.06 million
2012	10.37 million
2011	10.11 million
2010	9.2 million

Common Types Of Illness In Menorca

There are many illnesses that visitors to Spain commonly come down with. If these health issues are caused by a third party, then a personal injury lawyer may be able to help you make a claim for compensation. The most common being:

Food-related illnesses – such as food poisoning and related medical conditions, caused by eating bad food while on holiday
Recreational water illnesses – generally contracted due to swimming in an infected swimming pool, but can be caught from the sea
Legionnaires disease – generally caused by staying in a hotel room with a poorly maintained and infected air conditioning system
Insects bites and stings – specifically those that cause a severe reaction
Sunburn – by overexposure to the sun, without applying any suitable protection

These are common types of illnesses that UK holidaymakers suffer from but there are many more.

Compensation For Food Poisoning And Food Allergy Reactions

Medical conditions caused by food and drink, such as food poisoning or a reaction to a food allergy, are both common causes for claims. Food can go bad very quickly in a hot climate. When this is combined with the stress we tend to put our stomach under while on holiday, eating unfamiliar foods and generally overindulging, then this can be a recipe for coming down with food poisoning.

It is also far more difficult to manage your diet if you have food allergies while overseas. The language barrier, as well as the generally unfamiliar foods, means that keeping tabs on the content at all times can prove challenging.

If you come down with food poising or suffer an allergic reaction due to the actions of a third party while on holiday, you may be able to make a claim. The NHS has published some excellent advice on these medical conditions at these links below:

NHS information on food poisoning

NHS information on food allergies

Can Poor Hotel Cleanliness Cause Illnesses?

A badly maintained or poorly cleaned hotel, can present a whole host of health hazards, and this includes the following:

Bad food served at the breakfast buffet
An unclean swimming pool
Unhygienic air conditioning units
A contaminated water supply

These are just a few health hazards that an unclean hotel can pose, there are many more. If you fall ill due to the actions of your hotelier, you may be able to make a personal injury claim.

Accidents On The Road And Car Crashes

The most common of all accidents that UK holidaymakers claim for involves some kind of road traffic accident, such as a car crash or a motorcycle accident. UK visitors are often challenged by Spanish road laws, as well as having to drive on the opposite side of the road from back home. Rental firms often provide unsafe vehicles, especially scooters and small motorcycles. Overall, Spain is a more dangerous place to drive than the UK. Any accident caused by a third party, could be the basis of a personal injury claim when on holiday in Menorca.

Accidents Due To A Poorly Maintained Or Unfinished Hotel

When you make a holiday claim, loss of enjoyment is a valid reason to seek damages. Nothing ruins a holiday more than staying in a hotel that is either still in construction or going through renovation. Your package holiday firm is legally obliged to provide you with a minimum standard on your holiday. If the hotel is under construction, this standard will not be met, and you could make a claim.

Common Types Of Injury In Menorca

This list below details the most common types of injuries that holiday claim solicitors often help clients claim for:

Sprains and fractures
Cuts and lacerations
Concussion or head injuries
Damaged back or neck vertebrae
Pulled ligaments
Burns or scalds

Menorca Package Holiday Accident Claims

Every UK based package tour company has to provide you with a safe holiday, or a specific minimum standard. This is the law. It covers all travel, accommodation and activities that formed part of the single price package. When part of this package is not up to par, a reason to claim may exist. You can find more information about your rights on a package holiday at this link:

Your rights on a package holiday

How Do I Make A Menorca Holiday Accident Personal Injury Claim?

One of the best ways to make a holiday accident claim is to use the services of a No Win No Fee solicitor. There would be no charge to process your claim, and if the solicitor fails to win you any compensation, you would not be charged any fee at all. The only time the solicitor would charge a fee, is when they have received a compensation payment for you. They would take their fee out of the money they received, and then give you the remainder. As you can see, this would be a financially risk-free way for you to have your claim handled, and get you the compensation that you are eligible for.

Menorca Accident And Illness Compensation Calculator

You could use a personal injury claims calculator to find out roughly how much your claim could be worth. These tools can be very inaccurate though. The table provided below is based on actual compensation ranges awarded for different types of injuries. The table uses the actual Judicial Guidelines used by the UK legal system and solicitors when evaluating how much a claim should receive in compensation.

Injury Type	Severity	Compensation	Information
Toe injury	Moderate to severe	Up to £49,131	From soft tissue damage, to complete loss of one or more of the toes.
Ankle injury	Minor to severe	Up to £61,131	From sprains and soft tissue damage, to paralysis of the ankle.
Foot injury	Minor to very severe	Up to £96,131	From damage to the soft tissue of the foot, through to paralysis or amputation.
Leg injury	Minor to severe	Up to £119,231	From tissue damage, to partial or full paralysis or amputation of the leg.
Hand injury	Minor to serious	Up to £54,291	From damage to the soft tissue of the hand, through to paralysis or amputation.
Wrist injury	Minor to severe	Up to £52,491	From sprains and soft tissue damage, to paralysis of the wrist.
Arm injury	Moderate to severe	Up to £114,821	From tissue damage, to partial or full paralysis or amputation of the arm.
Finger injury	Minor to severe	Up to £21,931	From soft tissue damage, to complete loss of one or more of the fingers.
Thumb injury	Minor to severe	Up to £48,031	From soft tissue damage, to complete loss of one or both of the thumbs.
Back injury	Minor to severe	Up to £141,161	From simple soft tissue injuries, fractured vertebrae, to full or partial paralysis of the back.
Neck injury	Minor to severe	Up to £130,071	From simple soft tissue injuries, fractured vertebrae, to full or partial paralysis of the neck.

Additional Resources

We have provided a number of external links in the text above for your information; here they are again in case you missed them: