When you’re finally going to that vacation you’ve been thinking about for months, the last thing you want to happen is getting injured. A holiday is supposed to be fun, not filled with blood, broken bones or other worst-case scenarios. However, sometimes, life is full of surprises, and it’s hard to know when it decides to strike.
That being said, you require some knowledge upon going on any trip. Knowing what you can do in various unfortunate situations can save you some trouble. Here are some legal steps to take if something bad occurs while you’re on foreign lands.
1. Seek Medical Help Right Away
Your safety comes first, so regardless of the severity of your injury, the first step should be seeking medical attention immediately. This applies especially if the injury is so bad that it’s life-threatening because your injury needs to be stabilized. If the injury is less severe, though, such as a laceration or a broken limb, you might notify your supervisor first, then seek medical help.
Conversely, your injury still needs to be reported within a certain amount of time if you want to preserve and protect your rights legally. Some laws protect workers who are going abroad, and they have specific timeframes regarding the time in which a worker must report the injury. It’s the only way you can receive compensation for it, as well as treatment.
2. Document the Events
Because the injury reporting protocol is different from an employer to another, you should make sure to comply with the reporting procedures for yours. The best reporting method if you want to protect yourself is to collect any evidence you can about the injury. Some of these could include the circumstances leading to it, and the prognosis or diagnosis obtained from the doctor that is treating your injury. Furthermore, you should include the time and date of the injury if possible, as well as the time you received the treatment.
If you can record other evidence about it, it can come in handy when building the case, strengthening it. For example, if there was a witness at the place, you can obtain a written statement from that person too. Anything can help your case.
3. Talk to a Specialized Attorney
It’s important to seek the help of a specialized attorney to help you with your case. That being said, you can contact a Washington DC personal injury attorney, or another one depending on where you live.
Talking to an injury attorney when you come back will help you build your legal case. Most attorneys give their clients a first session which is free of charges to discuss the case. Also, they work cases on contingency, which means that you don’t have to pay any fees until you win the lawsuit against the one responsible for the injuries. Once you have the documentation necessary, the lawyer will build your case and offer you the best chance to get the money necessary for covering the bills related to the injury.
Getting injured abroad is a drag. So, if this happens, you should take legal action right away!
