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How much compensation can I claim for injury in the Czech Republic?

On this page, you will find advice, tips and information on making holiday accident claims in the Czech Republic if you have been the victim an accident, injury or illness while on holiday.

It covers the types of injuries and illnesses that people can fall foul of while on holiday in the Czech Republic, how they happen, and what to do to give you the best chance of claiming compensation.

Czech Republic holiday accidentReading this page will give you the knowledge you need to deal with the emergency while you are on holiday in the Czech Republic, and then take steps both abroad and at home, to ensure you have the best chance of successfully being awarded the most compensation possible.

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A Guide to Czech Republic Accident Claims

Below, you will find a detailed guide to making holiday accident claims in the Czech Republic. Every year, more than 300,000 UK tourists visit the Czech Republic as a holiday destination. Most of these people have a relaxing holiday and return home safely afterwards. Unfortunately, a small percentage of them become the victim of an accident, suffer an injury or become sick while on holiday in the Czech Republic. When this accident, injury or illness is caused by a third-party, it could be possible to claim compensation.

Legal Expert operates a national claims service that can help people claim compensation with regard to accidents, injuries and illnesses while on holiday in the Czech Republic. We have published this guide to educate people so that they know how to deal with an emerging problem whilst in the Czech Republic. What to do to make sure they have the best chance of claiming compensation. How to contact the emergency services in the Czech Republic and how to get medical treatment. We also outline our No Win No Fee claims service, that can help you win the compensation you are eligible for if you have been injured or become sick while on holiday in the Czech Republic, and it can be proved that someone other than yourself was the cause.

We also provide some useful contact numbers and hyperlinks to useful websites such as NHS information on how to get medical treatment while you are on holiday in the Czech Republic.

If you have any questions that are unanswered once you have finished reading this guide, then please feel free to call Legal Expert on the phone number at the bottom of this page, so that we can answer any questions you still have, and begin to help you claim compensation with regard to an accident, injury or illness that you sustained while you were on holiday in the Czech Republic.

What to Do if You Have an Accident or Injury in the Czech Republic

In order to have the best chance of making holiday accident claims in the Czech Republic once you get home from your holiday, there are a number of steps you should take. Some of these steps can and should be carried out in the Czech Republic either as the event takes place, or afterwards. Other steps should be taken when you get home to the UK to make sure that everything is in order, enabling you to proceed with a compensation claim.

Steps you can take while on holiday in the Czech Republic:

  • Get the medical treatment you need – make sure your injury or illness is cared for properly, you will find details farther down this page on how to access healthcare services in the Czech Republic. Be sure to make a note of the names of the doctors that treated you, and you could also try asking for a copy of your medical file, or its unique reference number.
  • Make sure the police are informed – if you are involved in a situation such as a road traffic accident in the Czech Republic, then ensure that the police know about the event. Make a note of the names of the officers who dealt with the accident, and also ask them for the case reference number.
  • Gather evidence – this will include asking any witnesses for their name and contact details, and potentially a written statement. It could be that the testimony of these witnesses is needed later on in the claims process.
  • Inform your tour company – it is vital that the package holiday or tour operator you booked your vacation through is informed of the problem. Make a note of the person who you spoke to, and also ask if there is any specific reference
  • Inform your travel or health insurance firm – if you expect to be making a claim on your health or travel insurance while in the Czech Republic for medical treatment, make sure that your insurer knows about it so that the process of receiving approval for treatment is as rapid as possible.
  • Take photographs – of anything and everything that might be useful as evidence in your claim later on down the line. For example, in a road traffic accident take photographs of all of the registration numbers of the vehicles involved.

Steps to take once you return to the UK from your Czech Republic holiday:

  • Contact your package holiday or tour vendor to make sure that they have all of the facts of the incident. You should have the name of the person you initially spoke to, and also the reference number you noted down while you were on vacation.
  • Contact your insurer – if you intend to claim on your medical or travel insurance, call your insurer to let them know that you are back home and that you are ready to claim.
  • Contact Legal Expert – so that we can use our national claims service to claim the compensation you are entitled to.

We have produced several guides which are aimed at helping people learn about the process of claiming holiday compensation, they can be found at the links below:

How do I claim for an accident abroad?

How do I claim for compensation against a package holiday vendor?

Emergency Contacts in the Czech Republic After an Accident

Possibly some of the best holiday compensation advice we can give is to make sure that the accident or illness you have been the victim while on holiday is dealt with officially by the correct emergency service in the Czech Republic. We have published the relevant contact numbers below:

National police force – 158

Local police – 156

Fire and Rescue Service – 150

Ambulance/Emergency Medical – 155

If you need to contact the British Embassy in Prague, the phone number is +420 257 40 2111.

Just to recap, these numbers and contact details are provided to help you carry out the critical steps of:

  • Seeking medical attention.
  • Notifying your travel company.
  • Notifying the police if relevant.
  • Notifying your travel insurance firm.
  • Gathering evidence.

Medical Treatment After an Accident

Before you return home to begin your holiday accident claim, you need to make sure you have access to healthcare in the Czech Republic and the information below will help you do this.

The Czech Republic is part of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme. Which means as long as you have a valid EHIC, you will be provided with free healthcare in the Czech Republic of the same standards as a local person. If you happen to have lost your EHIC or forgot to take it with you on holiday, you should call the Department of Health Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 191 218 1999 to arrange for a temporary replacement. Visit the link below for more information on the EHIC scheme and to apply for a card:

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

When you call for an ambulance in the Czech Republic, you might be asked which medical facility you wish to go to or given a choice. It is vital that you ask to be taken to a Government facility unless you intend to either a) pay for your own private medical treatment or b) claim for the cost of private treatment from your health or travel insurance.

In the latter case, you must check with your insurer before you are given treatment to make sure that it has been approved. Your insurer will usually pay the healthcare provider directly. However, in certain situations, you may need to pay for the treatment in cash, and then claim the money back when you get home to the UK.

Compensation Claim Time Limits in the Czech Republic

If you wish to claim compensation with regard to an accident, injury or illness sustained while on holiday in the Czech Republic, there are clear time limits to do so, which are detailed in the table below:

Edit
Circumstances of Claim Time Limit
Trips, holidays and flights pre-booked through a UK based travel firm. 3 years
On a privately booked trip. 2 years
On a privately booked flight to or from:
• Brno-Turany Airport, Brno
• Leos Janacek Airport Ostrava
• Vaclav Havel Airport Prague
• Kunovice Airport, Zlín		 2 years

Package Holiday and City Break Compensation Claims

If you booked your holiday through a UK based tour company or package holiday vendor such as EasyJet, British Airways Holidays, Virgin Holidays or TUI, then your claim for compensation will be driven by the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992. This is a legal framework put in place by the UK Government to protect British consumers who book overseas travel from a UK based company.

If you have suffered an accident, injury or illness while on holiday in the Czech Republic, and your trip was booked through a UK vendor, the Legal Expert can help you to leverage this legislation to make a compensation claim.

It is important to note that this legislation is in addition to EU laws, such as those that cover EU flight delay compensation. This could mean that Legal Expert has potentially several routes to claiming compensation for the accident, injury or illness you sustained while on holiday in the Czech Republic. Our best advice would be to give us a call on the number at the bottom of this page, so we can get a clearer picture of your case, and recommend the best course of action.

Claims We Can Help with in the Czech Republic

Part of the travel advice Czech Republic visitors need is to know what you can do when you suffer an accident or illness abroad.

Legal Expert can help you to claim holiday compensation for a very wide range of events and situations. We have successfully claimed for clients who have been the victim of:

  • Aeroplane accidents.
  • Sicknesses caused by bad hotel/restaurant hygiene.
  • Falls from a balcony or terrace.
  • Boating or cruise accidents.
  • Poisoning by carbon monoxide due to insufficient hotel room ventilation.
  • Faulty furniture collapsing and causing injury.
  • Road traffic accidents.
  • Food poising and other food-related
  • Public transport accidents.
  • Skips, trips or falls.
  • Swimming pool accidents.
  • Sporting and activity accidents.
  • Accidents on day trips and excursions.

This is by no means a full list, so if your situation doesn’t seem to be listed, give us a call on the number at the bottom of the page to discuss your specific case.

Hotel Accident Claims

Accidents, injuries and illnesses can be caused in many ways whilst you are staying in a hotel. Despite the best intentions of the hotel operator, service and care levels slip, and hotel residents can come to harm. The most common incidents that Legal Expert helps UK holidaymakers claim for against a hotel, are:

  • Swimming pool accidents.
  • Gym or exercise equipment accidents.
  • Slips, trips or falls due to badly maintained or dangerous flooring.
  • Injuries caused by faulty room fittings.
  • Food poisoning and similar food-related
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning due to inadequate ventilation.

If you have been the victim of one of these scenarios, or any other incident that caused you harm and is clearly the fault of the hotel operator, then Legal Expert can help you claim the compensation you are entitled to.

Holiday Food Poisoning and Water-Borne Illness in the Czech Republic

The cause of food poisoning is eating food that is contaminated by the campylobacter bacteria. This is most often found in untreated water and undercooked meat (especially poultry).

If you begin to have severe symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach cramps while you are on holiday in the Czech Republic, then you should seek medical treatment.

If you have contracted food poisoning (or any other food-related illness) by eating food that was prepared at your hotel, or in a restaurant, then it could be possible to claim holiday sickness compensation. Contact Legal Expert to find out how to begin this process.

Slips, Trips, and Falls

These are the most common accidents in the world. A slip, trip or a fall can happen anywhere and be caused by even the slightest defect or obstruction on a public walkway.

All companies, including hotels and restaurants, are expected to keep publicly accessible pathways and floors safe at all times. Therefore, if you suffer a slip, trip or fall within a privately-owned premises that allows public access, you could be able to claim compensation. Call Legal Expert to find out if you are eligible to claim.

Compensation Claims for Adventure Holiday Accidents

If you have booked a sporting of adventure holiday the Czech Republic, you may be exposed to a higher risk of accident, injury or illness than a regular holidaymaker. In order to reduce this risk as much as possible, here are some tips to follow:

  • Always book your adventure or sporting holiday through a reputable vendor.
  • Book through a UK based vendor, so that UK legislation applies.
  • Make sure that you have comprehensive travel or health insurance, which provides for emergency medical repatriation.
  • Make sure that friends and family members know where you are, and that you have provided the holiday organiser with contact details for your next of kin.

If you do suffer an accident, injury or illness while on an adventure or sporting holiday in the Czech Republic, then you should call the Legal Expert national claims hotline for find out how we can help you claim compensation.

Czech Republic Road Accident Claims

Every year in this country, around 1,000 people are killed in car, motorcycle, bicycle or public transport accidents. The number of incidents of injury in a road traffic accident in the Czech Republic is much higher. If you are involved in such a crash, the following advice will help you have the best chance possible of being awarded compensation:

  • Ensure that the police are informed of the accident.
  • Make sure you receive proper medical treatment at a medical facility in the Czech Republic.
  • Take the contact details or all drivers, passengers and witnesses.
  • Photograph the licence plates of all the vehicles involved.

Additionally, if you were driving a hire car and were involved in an accident you will need to submit a full report on the accident to the hire firm. In most cases, any damage to the vehicle should be covered by the hire firms own insurance. However, there can be complications and you may end up having to pay some form of excess.

If you have this kind of evidence, Legal Expert can begin to claim you the most compensation possible via a Czech Republic road accident claim.

Do I Need to Use a Czech Lawyer for My Claim?

There is no need to use a local legal firm in the Czech Republic to claim for an accident, injury or illness you sustained while on holiday.

Legal Expert offers our national claims service to holidaymakers returning from the Czech Republic as a simple way to begin claiming holiday accident/injury compensation.

No Win No Fee Holiday Claims

Legal Expert offers our No Win No Fee national claims service as the simplest, most effective way to claim compensation with regard to an accident, injury or illness sustained whilst on holiday in the Czech Republic.

Under a Conditional Fee Agreement, you don’t pay us anything while your claim is being processed, and if we fail to successfully make a claim you don’t pay us anything at all. When you actually receive a compensation payment, we will then ask you to pay our fee.

Largest Cities And Resorts In The Czech Republic

  • Prague
  • Brno
  • Ostrava
  • Pilsen
  • Olomouc
  • Liberec
  • České Budějovice
  • Hradec Králové
  • Ústí nad Labem
  • Pardubice
  • Havířov
  • Zlín
  • Kladno
  • Most
  • Karviná
  • Opava

Take the Next Steps

If you have suffered from an accident, injury or illness while you were on holiday in the Czech Republic, then Legal Expert might be able to help you claim some form of holiday compensation. Call us now on 0800 073 8804 so that we can take all the details of your case. Once we know all the facts, we will offer you some free legal advice on what we think you should do next. In many cases, this will be to use our national No Win No Fee holiday accident/injury claims service to claim you the compensation you are entitled to.

Useful Links

British Embassy Prague

Thunovska 14

118 00

Prague

Czech Republic

Tel: +420 257 40 2111

Web: https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-prague

Opening times: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

At the link below, you will find detailed information published by the NHS in the UK, on how to receive medical treatment while you are on holiday in the Czech Republic.

NHS guide to healthcare in the Czech Republic