Each year over 2 million Britons visit Germany. The most likely reasons to visit Germany include holidays, business trips and to visit family members or friends who live there. Germany largely considered to be a safe country to visit, and most tourists or business travellers who visit Germany return home unharmed.
However, if you are one of the unlucky few who have been injured in an accident in Germany that wasn’t your fault, you could make a holiday accident claim in Germany for compensation. In this guide, we cover what sort of holiday accidents and injuries you can claim for, the steps you should take if you wish to claim compensation for an injury in Germany and we will also explain how a top personal injury solicitor from Legal Expert can help you claim compensation.
Who are we? We are Legal Expert, a top personal injury solicitors firm. Our holiday accident claims solicitors have a great track record of helping Claimants who have been injured on holiday, claim compensation. If you have been injured in Germany in an accident that wasn’t your fault, whether it was a traffic accident in Germany, motorbike accident in Germany or a skiing accident in Germany, you can potentially claim tens of thousands of pounds in compensation, or an even higher amount if you experienced very serious injuries due to gross negligence.
Select A Section
- A Guide to compensation claims for injury in Germany
- What to do if you have an injury or accident in Germany
- Emergency contacts numbers in Germany
- Getting medical treatment for an illness or injury in Germany
- Are there compensation claim time limits in Germany?
- Making a package holiday claim in Germany
- Compensation claims we can conduct in Germany
- Hotel accident claims in Germany
- Claims for food poisoning and water-borne illnesses
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Adventure sports activity claims
- Road traffic accidents in Germany
- Do I need to use a German solicitor for my claim?
- Making a no win no fee claims
- Making Your Holiday Accident Claim In Germany With Legal Expert
- Useful links
A Guide To Compensation Claims For Injuries In Germany
Germany is a relatively safe country to visit. Unfortunately, British tourists that visit Germany do sometimes get injured in Germany. If you are injured in Germany, in an avoidable accident that was caused by negligence on the part of another party, you are entitled to make a Holiday Accident Claim In Germany. Unfortunately, the British Government advises there is a likely threat of terrorism, although your chances of being injured or killed in a terrorist attack are very low. The most common accidents British tourists experience are road traffic accidents in Germany. This can include car accidents and motorbike accidents in Germany. Germany is also a popular destination for skiing, so ski accident claims and other adventure sports activity claims are also common in Germany.
In this guide, we will cover how to make a compensation claim for an injury you experienced in Germany. We will also include useful contact information for you if you have experienced an accident in Germany. We have also provided information process of hiring a personal injury solicitor to handle your holiday accident claim, including what’s involved in making a no win no fee claim.
What Should You Do If You Are Injured In Germany?
If you are injured in Germany in an accident that was not your fault, then you could be legally entitled to claim compensation from the party responsible. We will now take you through the necessary steps for what you should do if you are injured in Germany.
If you are injured in Germany, you should collect as much evidence as possible at the time of your accident. This can include:
- Recording a note of the injuries you have sustained.
- Taking photographs of the scene of your accident. This is especially important if you can photograph the hazard that caused your injury (include a date stamp if possible).
- Talking to anyone who witnessed the accident and taking down their contact details, in case they need to give evidence as witnesses during your medical negligence claim.
- If you were involved in a motorbike or car accident in Germany, what to do is to speak to the driver involved, get their contact details, vehicle registration number, and details of the owner of the vehicle if the driver is not the owner.
- Collect information about any medical treatment you received at the time of the accident, or ongoing medical treatment you had to receive as a result of them.
- Keep receipts for any expenses you incurred as a result of your injuries, as you can sue for expenses related to your injuries. This could be medical expenses, cost of additional care, transportation costs.
If your accident is serious and you need to seek immediate medical treatment. If possible you should return to the place where you were injured and collect as much evidence as you can once you have been treated.
If you have an accident that is due to someone else’s negligence, it is important that you report your accident to the relevant parties. For example, if you are on holiday with a tour operator, you should ensure that you should report it to your tour operator. The Package Travel, Package Holiday, and Package Tour Regulations of 1992 entitles you to claim compensation from your package holiday provider if you are experience illness or an accident on holiday, due to the negligent running of a package holiday service such as the your accommodation or transportation.
If you are injured in a managed site, like a hotel or a shop, you should inform the management and ensure they make a record of it in their log book. You should also report your accident in Germany to the police, if you were attacked or it was caused by any illegal activity.
Emergency Contact Numbers In Germany
If you suffer an accident on holiday that leads you to have a serious illness or injury in Germany here are some emergency numbers.
Call 112 to request an emergency service
Call 110 to contact the police directly
If you cannot speak German, British tourists are fortunate that English is widely spoken, so an emergency services operator can likely find a colleague that speaks English for you. Please be aware that these are emergency numbers, which should only be used if an ambulance or emergency police service is needed.
If you have been involved in a serious accident, you should contact the nearest British Consulate to you, who can assist you. The main British Embassy in Germany is situated in Berlin. We also list the contact details of other British consulates in Germany, later in this guide.
Getting Medical Treatment For An Illness Or Injury In Germany
The British Government recommends that you take out comprehensive travel insurance before you travel to Germany, or anywhere else abroad. You can also apply for a European Health Insurance Card, which will entitle you to receive state funded healthcare while you are in Germany, if you find yourself in need of medical treatment. You can apply for a European Health Insurance Card online.
Are there compensation claim time limits in Germany?
If you need to make a compensation claim for an accident, injury or illness whilst on holiday in Germany, or whilst travelling to or from your holiday there are several different time limits for making a compensation claim. These can be seen in our table below.
| Circumstances of injury or illness | Time Limit for Claim |
|---|---|
| For accidents which happened on a bus, ferry or flight travelling to or returning from Germany, or in accommodation or tours which have been booked through a package tour operator. | 3 years |
| For accidents, illness or injury which happened on a holiday which was booked independently. | Up to 30 years – time limits do vary. |
| On a flight to or from an international airport in Germany. Flights which were booked independently. | 2 years. |
Making A Package Holiday Claim In Germany
As we have already mentioned, a package holiday claim against the tour operator can be made if you are injured in Germany due to an accident in Germany that was the responsibility of the tour operator, according to the Package Travel, Package Holiday, and Package Tour Regulations 1992. You will make your compensation claim for the injury you experienced in Germany in Great Britain, therefore if you live in England, Wales or Scotland, you will have 3 years since your accident occured, or you realised that you had been harmed by your accident, to begin making your holiday accident claim.
Some popular package holiday providers that sell package holidays to Germany include: Tui, Thomas Cook and Inghams.
Compensation claims we can conduct in Germany
Legal Expert is a well respected solicitor’s firm that provide personal injury solicitors for holidaymakers who wish to make a holiday accident claim, for injuries sustained in Germany. We have an excellent track record for winning claims, and cover compensation claims for all types of injuries in Germany, including: road traffic accidents in Germany, car accident compensation claims in Germany, skiing accidents in Germany, and holiday compensation for food poisoning incidents that happened in Germany. If you were injured in Germany but live in Britain, you will make your claim in Britain, either settling out of court, or via the British court system. We will now look in more detail at some of the types of claims for accidents that happened in Germany that Legal Expert covers, in more detail.
Hotel Accident Claims In Germany
Firstly, standards of health, safety and hygiene at German hotels tend to be quite high. Unfortunately though, accidents do happen. If a hotel patron, visitor, or employee is injured due to negligent actions on the part of the hotel such as poor standards of health and safety, then they are entitled to make an accident claim for compensation. Common avoidable accidents that can occur in hotels can include slip, trip and fall injuries, which can be caused by wet surfaces, trip hazards and poor lighting, swimming pool accidents which can be caused by a lifeguard not being present or poor management of other sporting and leisure facilities. Many Claimants also seek our help for claiming holiday compensation for food poisoning incidents, which can occur if the proper hygiene regulations are not followed in the hotel kitchens.
Claims For Food Poisoning And Water Borne Illnesses
In 2011 cases of food poisoning in Germany hit the headlines when an outbreak of E-coli, caused by imported cucumbers left 14 dead and hundreds seriously ill. As a result, many injured parties south compensation. Fortunately, cases such as this are rare, claims for holiday compensation for food poisoning or the contraction of water borne illnesses can occur in Germany in places where guests consume food and drink, such as hotels and restaurants. Food poisoning is usually caused by the negligent handling and preparation of food and drink, such as not practising proper hygiene standards. If you have experienced food poisoning in Germany, which was not your fault, you could potentially sue for holiday compensation food poisoning, and your claim could be worth tens of thousands of pounds or more, depending on the extent of your injuries.
Slips, Trips And Falls
Slips, trips and falls are sadly common accidents that tourists and business travellers experience on holiday. The main cause of slips, trips and falls include wet floors which are not sign posted, uneven flooring, hazards on the floor without control measures in place. Wet floors are particularly a problem in hotels with a swimming pool. For example a guest enter a hotel from the swimming pool, dripping water onto the floor. If the hotel has a marble or granite floor this could be particularly dangerous. Control measures that can be put in place to avoid slips trips and falls include: signposting wet floors, ensuring spills are mopped up immediately, refurbishing uneven floors, or fixing any trip hazards such as a nail sticking out of a floor board as soon as it is brought to the management’s attention. If you have experienced a slip, trip or fall accident in Germany, in a hotel, or elsewhere, then you may be able to claim compensation for your injuries.
Adventure sports activity claims
Adventure sports activities in Germany are a common draw for tourists. Due to its beautiful mountain ranges, Germany is known for winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding, as well as summer outdoor activities such as hiking. Unfortunately skiing accidents in Germany are two of the top types of accidents in Germany, which involve British each year. Skiing obviously has its own inherent risks and some skiing accidents are unavoidable. However, skiing accidents can also be caused by negligent maintenance of ski slopes, negligence on the part of ski instructors or others skiers taking unnecessary risks, skiing too fast and colliding with the victim, causing them to become injured. If you have been involved in a skiing accident in Germany, or any other accident related to outdoor pursuits and adventure sports, then Legal Expert can help you claim the compensation you are entitled to.
Road traffic accidents in Germany
In the years 2006 – 2015 there was an overall decrease in deaths caused by road traffic accidents in Germany. Unfortunately road traffic accidents such as car accidents and motorbike accidents in Germany are twice that of the UK. this is thought to be because compared to the UK, there is a lack of speed limits. For example on 60% of Germany’s road network, there is no speed limit. Because British tourists are not used to other road users driving at such high speeds, or driving at these high speeds themselves, they are more vulnerable to car accidents in Germany. If you have been injured in a car accident in Germany, what should you do? After seeking the relevant medical treatment, we recommend that you contact Legal Expert. Our top holiday accident claims solicitors will be happy to assist you.
Do I Need To Use A German Solicitor To Make My Claim?
Clients often ask us “Do I need to use a German solicitor to make my claim?” the answer is no. If you are a British resident, you can use a holiday accident claims solicitor based in Britain to make your claim. This means that you will make your claim according to personal injury law for England and Wales or Scotland, depending on where you live. You also won’t have to worry about language gaps, or difficulty visiting your solicitor’s offices in person, if you use a solicitor within reach of where you live.
Making A No Win No Fee Claim
You can make a no win no fee holiday accident claim in Germany, for injuries you sustained because of an accident in Germany that you suffered. What is a no win no fee claim? The solicitor will offer you a Conditional Fee Arrangement (CFA), which means that you will only pay your solicitor’s fee on the condition that you win your holiday accident claim. Because there is no upfront fee to pay, or ongoing fees as your claim proceeds, many claimants find it the more affordable option. It is also less stressful for many, as you will only pay your fee if you win your claim, meaning that there is no financial risk to you. Call Legal Expert today to enquire about making a no win no fee claim.
The top 16 largest cities in Germany, by population:
- Berlin
- Hamburg
- Munich
- Kologne
- Frankfurt
- Stuttgart
- Dusseldorf
- Dortmund
- Essen
- Leipzig
- Bremen
- Dresden
- Hanover
- Nuremberg
- Duisburg
- Bochum
Making Your Holiday Accident Claim In Germany With Legal Expert
If you have been injured in Germany in an accident that wasn’t your fault, Legal Expert would love to help you make the holiday accident claim in Germany that you are entitled to. We are a top personal injury law firm, with an excellent track record of helping clients win their compensation claims. Why should you claim compensation for an accident in Germany that injured you or made you ill. First of all, your claim could be worth tens, or even hundreds of thousands of pounds. As well as claiming for the pain and suffering caused by your injuries, you can also claim expenses for healthcare in Germany or Britain that you had to pay for, additional expenses associated with your injury and loss of income if your accident left you unable to work for a period of time. Secondly, we go on holiday to relax, enjoy new activities and experience the delights of another culture, not to have to sit on the sidelines nursing a broken leg, or a recovering from a serious illness. If your holiday, business trip, or visit to family and friends in Germany was ruined by injuries, caused by the negligence of someone else, claiming compensation is a way of holding the responsible party accountable.
Legal Expert offers a free legal consultations to claimants who wish to make holiday accident claims. Call us today and one of our friendly advisors will determine if you have a compensation claim for an injury in Germany, how much compensation you could be awarded and we will find a top solicitor to proceed with your claim. Call Legal Expert today on 0800 073 8804 or fill out our online claims form. If you have a legitimate claim, we will proceed with it right away. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.
Useful Links:
British Consulates In Germany
British Embassy Berlin
Wilhelmstraße 70/71
10117 Berlin
Germany
Tel: +49 30 204570
Web: https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-berlin
British Consulate General Dusseldorf
Oststraße 86
40210 Dusseldorf
Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 211 94480
Web: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-dusseldorf
British Consulate General Munich
Möhlstraße 5
81675 Munich
Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 89 211090
Web: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-munich
NHS guide to healthcare in Germany
Information and healthcare considerations for travellers to Germany.
