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How much compensation can I claim for injury in Hungary?

Whether taking a slow river cruise down the Danube, an exciting city break or a spa holiday Hungary is a popular destination for shorter getaways and long weekends. Whilst it is not a popular with British tourists as countries such as Spain, Hungary still attracts around 700,000 British visitors each year to its beautiful countryside and elegant cities.

holiday accident claims in Hungary For the majority of people visiting Hungary the trip will be a pleasant chance to unwind. However for some things may go wrong and they may find themselves having to make holiday accident claims in Hungary. Whether it is due to food poisoning, a car accident in Hungary or another cause, having an injury or illness on your holiday can turn a dream holiday into a nightmare. So, if disaster does strick what should you do to ensure you get the treatment you need and can claim the compensation that you deserve?

In this guide to holiday accident claims in Hungary, we take you through the different common causes of holiday accidents and injuries, as well as looking at the steps you can take before you go away if disaster does strike on your holiday, and when you come back. We’ll also introduce you to the process of making no win no fee travel claims with our team.

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A guide to Hungary accident and injury claims

At Legal Expert, we understand that being injured in an accident or being ill on holiday can be devastating both emotionally or financially, as well as similarly challenging at a time when you may not have too much spare money. As well as tarnishing what was planned to be a great experience, illness and accidents abroad can also leave you seriously out of pocket. Whilst holiday compensation claims might be the last thing on your mind in these circumstances, it can help to alleviate the financial pressures that you are experiencing.

Each year 700,000 of us head to Hungary to enjoy a city break getaway to the country or another holiday. Our goal is usually to relax and have a good time, having saved up for months beforehand. Whilst most of us will be careful to book either a package holiday or flights and hotel through accredited and reputable providers, an accident causing an injury or illness can still happen. Some cases of illness or accidents abroad can leave you needing to use the emergency services or visit a hospital. In the most serious of cases, you may find you need to return to the UK early.

Some of the most common types of accident or injury in Hungary can include: slips, trips, and falls, injuries whilst on excursions or participating in sports, and cases of food poisoning. People can also be injured during flights (by things such as falling overhead luggage or whilst disembarking the aircraft) or on the way to and from the airport. Any of these circumstances can cause injuries or illness which you could claim for, either from an insurance provider or by making a claim against the party responsible.

What to do if you have an accident or illness in Hungary

If you have been involved in an accident or been injured whilst in Hungary, there are some steps that you should take as soon as possible which will help you to get the care you may need, as well as enhancing the likelihood you will be able to make a successful claim later. If you have experienced any illness and accidents abroad, we recommend that your first step is to get any medical treatment you need. Your next step should be to find out the party (or parties) responsible for what caused your accident or illness and which led you to suffer in some way. The party responsible could be a hotel, restaurant or activity owner or operator or a package holiday company, or any other service provider.

Whilst we will take you through the causes of accidents and injuries on holiday, as well as how to make a claim, we also two great in-depth guides which you may find helpful. Read about accident and injury claims abroad here. You can also read about making a package holiday claim here.

Emergency contacts in Hungary after an accident

If you have an accident, injury or illness whilst on holiday in Hungary and require medical attention, you can call the emergency services on 112. This number is for the main switchboard. Calls can be answered in Hungarian, English, German and Romanian and you will be directed to the appropriate emergency service. You can also call specific services directly using the following numbers:

Ambulance (mentok) – 104
Fire service (tuzoltok) – 105
Police (rendorseg) – 107

If you need assistance from the British Embassy or consular services in Hungary you can visit the British Embassy in Budapest at Budapest, Füge u. 5-7, 1022 Hungary. They can also be contacted on +36 1 266 2888.

Seeking medical treatment after an accident

The UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office currently recommends that visitors to Hungary visit their GP 4-6 weeks before travelling to get any necessary Hungary vaccines that you may need. You can find country specific health and travel advice for Hungary at Travel Health Pro (recommended by the UK government).

Healthcare is not free for citizens in Hungary, however, there are special arrangements in place for British tourists. As an EU citizen, British citizens can use an EHIC or European Health Insurance Card to enable them to access public healthcare at either a lower cost or for free. Any medical fees due are paid upfront at the point of treatment and then refunded via the EHIC system. Hungary also operates what is called a co-pay system, meaning that things such as prescriptions are not refundable via the EHIC system.

Please note: The EHIC system does not cover any private healthcare so you should ensure you are treated by a public health provider.

You can apply for an EHIC card here. Once registered you can also download an application for your Android or iOS smartphone.

Are there time limits for claiming compensation in Hungary?

If you need to make ruined holiday compensation complaints to a provider and are seeking compensation, you should be aware that there are time limits for making a claim in Hungary, as there are in the UK. As such, you should note the time limit for your type of accident, illness or claim and start the claims process as early as possible.

Edit
Reason for making a claim Relevant time limit(s)
Claims against a UK package holiday company for an accident which caused an injury or illness. 3 year limit
Claims for accidents leading to illness or injury on a holiday booked privately. 5 year limit (variable)
Claims for accidents leading to illness or injury on flights booked privately. 2 year limit
Economic loss and damage to your personal property 5 year limit
Additional varying time limits could apply.

Package holiday compensation claims

At Legal Expert, we can provide solicitors who can help claimants with Hungary package holiday injury claims. There are several prominent holiday companies and tour operators offering trips to Hungary, either for city breaks, river cruises or other types of holiday. Some of the most prominent operators include Sage, Travel Supermarket and Thomas Cook as well as more specialised operators such as Intrepid Travel. Remember people who need to bring Hungary package holiday injury claims are eligible to do so through the courts’ system of England & Wales.

The 1992 Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulation allows you to bring Hungary package holiday claims using solicitors and courts in England & Wales, making the process easier for the claimant.

Independent holidays in Hungary

As well as helping with Hungary package holiday claims, our experienced team can also help independent travellers to recover damages from parties responsible for their accident, injury or illness. If you booked your flights and accommodation separately and independently (not as a package deal) you will not be covered by the above regulation. However, you may still be able to make holiday accident claims in Hungary using a solicitor in the UK. Certain claims involving travel insurance and some car accident in Hungary claims can be made in the UK under EU law.

Anyone who is injured on an international flight is protected by the Montreal Convention. This is an international treaty which enables airline passengers to make a claim against the airline responsible, even if injured in an airport at either end or on a connecting flight.

Hungarian injury claims we can help with

From slips, trips, and falls on holiday claims to ruined holiday compensation complaints, the solicitors we can provide you with are able to help claimants with a wide range of different holiday accident claims in Hungary. Some of the different types of claims that we can help with include the following:

  • Airline compensation claims
  • Illness caused by poor hygiene
  • Slips, trips, and falls
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning
  • Watersports, boating and cruise accidents
  • Injuries sustained on organised excursions and tours
  • Rental car faults leading to accident and injury
  • Food poisoning
  • Swimming pool accidents.

Read on below for more in-depth help and advice covering some of these types of claims.

Hotel accident claims

If you have booked your hotel privately (i.e. not part of a package deal) we can help you to pursue holiday compensation claims against the hotel owner or operator. You could claim compensation for incidences where you were injured or became sick as a result of how the hotel you stayed in was operated. Hotel negligence claims could include circumstances such as you suffering food poisoning or other gastrointestinal diseases from poorly prepared food, contaminated drinking water or a swimming pool which has not been cleaned properly.

Accidents, injury, and illness in a hotel can happen when the operator is not properly identifying and addressing any risks or carrying out necessary maintenance when it is due or required. Hotels can often minimise these risk factors by following proper procedures and complying with relevant health and safety laws.

If you have suffered an illness or been injured as a result of an accident or negligence which was the fault of your hotel or the hotel staff contact Legal Expert. Our friendly team is on hand seven days a week to help you to make a claim against the hotel operator.

Holiday food poisoning and water-borne illness claims in Hungary

You can get food poisoning in numerous ways and from different bacteria or water-borne factors. Causes of food poisoning can include food which has not been properly stored, transported or prepared, or which is past its use by date. You can also get food poisoning from contaminated food or drinking water. At best food poisoning could well leave you spending a large part of your holiday in your hotel, unable to enjoy your holiday in Hungary. If you have experienced food poisoning whilst on holiday you should obtain any medical treatment necessary to help you recover, keep any receipts for medical expenses and contact your travel insurance provider as well as a solicitor as soon as possible, either before you return or once back in the UK.

Activity and adventure holiday injuries

In recent years Hungary has become increasingly popular as a destination for different activity and adventure holidays, such as hiking and walking holidays, cycling tours and river cruises down the Danube. However, whilst most people participating in these activities and holiday have been perfectly safe there have been several reports of tourists and holidaymakers being injured, some seriously so. The most prominent of these have been people on cycling tours who have been injured due to poor road surfaces, faulty bikes or the negligence of motorists.

Whilst anyone participating in an activity or adventure holiday should understand that there will be risks associated with the activity, people are often injured through the fault or negligent actions of another party. Remember, the tour or activity organiser owes you a ‘duty of care’ to ensure that they take all reasonable steps to prevent unnecessary dangers. This means they should maintain all equipment in good working order and ensure you are aware of any safety information. If they fail to do so, they could be liable for your accident or injuries. Legal Expert can help with slips, trips, and falls on holiday claims which happened whilst participating in activities.

Swimming and beach accidents

Whilst Hungary may be landlocked, each year tourists visit the beautiful along Lake Balaton. The lake is Europe’s largest freshwater lake and attracts people for sailing, swimming and other watersports such as surfing, windsurfing, and kite surfing as well as water skiing. Accidents and injuries can happen when the weather unexpectedly takes a turn for the worse and between April and October, this part of Hungary can experience a lot of storms. The lake does have a storm warning service alerting people not to enter the water.

Many travel insurance providers will classify storms and similar occurrences as an act of God, meaning that they may not provide coverage and pay out for claims involving these circumstances. Please do note that in some cases it may be possible to claim for an accident or injury which happened during a storm, as well as for general accidents and injuries which happened whilst participating in water sports. A good example is making a claim for an accident which happened because the lifeguard had acted in a negligent way.

Road traffic accidents in Hungary

The Hungarian road network has one of the highest road accident rates in Europe and the latest figures show that there were 6.3 deaths on the roads per 100,000 residents for 2014. This figure is greater than twice the rate of fatalities in the UK.

British drivers using the roads in Hungary may not be used to the higher average speeds and speed limits in Hungary, making them more vulnerable as road users and more likely to suffer an accident. Tourists are advised to have a high level of motoring insurance for their trip.

In the event of road traffic accidents in Hungary, the accident must be reported to the police. The Hungarian police will create an accident report which you will need to show when you exit or leave Hungary. This can also be used as evidence in your compensation and insurance claims. The report will show which driver was at fault in the accident, helping to support your claim later.

Recommendations for UK drivers include not admitting liability for the accident or signing any documents before talking to your solicitor in the UK and/ or your insurance company. You should also record any witnesses and the registration numbers of any vehicles involved in the accident.

Do I need to use a Hungarian lawyer for my claim?

Whether for claims being made at home in the UK, or holiday accident claims in Hungary, people often think that they have to use a solicitor who is based close to them, or where the incident happened. Whilst you may wish to be near your solicitor it is not necessary for them to be close to you, or in this case to be based in Hungary. What is much more important that the location of your solicitor is their ability to process the type of personal injury claim you need to make. At Legal Expert, we will be able to provide you with a solicitor who can help you bring a compensation claim in either the Hungarian or British courts system.

As an EU member state, residents of the UK are often allowed to bring their claims in the UK’s courts systems, rather than those of the country in which the accident happened. If you think that you have the grounds to claim compensation for an accident, injury or illness which happened in Hungary contact us as soon as possible to get your claims process started.

Remember, compensation claim time limits may be shorter abroad than in the UK to it is best to start the claims process as quickly as possible.

No win no fee travel claims

At Legal Expert, we are happy to offer our clients what is called a no win, no fee service. When you talk to one of our specialists we will be able to assess whether or not you have a valid claim and if you do, we can provide a solicitor to work on a conditional fee agreement or no win, no fee basis. You can find further information on what this service is in our dedicated guide here. This type of agreement means that unless you are awarded a settlement, you won’t be charged a penny.

Cities and resorts in Hungary

  • Budapest
  • Lake Balaton
  • Síaréna Eplény
  • Mátraszentistván Sipark
  • Debrecen
  • Szeged
  • Miskolc
  • Pécs
  • Győr
  • Nyíregyháza
  • Kecskemét

How to start your claim

Start your claim today by contacting our specialist team and get the answer to questions such as “how much can I claim for injury or illness in Hungary”. Whether you are ready to start making your accident or illness claim in Hungary, or whether you need further information about the process of making an accident claim abroad, talk to our specialist team. We are here to take your calls seven days a week between 9 am and 9 pm. Call us on 0800 073 8804 or email us with the details of your claims and injuries to info@legalexpert.co.uk. You can also use our online claims for to get started.

Useful links

NHS guide to healthcare in Hungary
In the guide from the NHS you can find further information on travel to Hungary and medical considerations, including where and how to get an EHIC card and smartphone application.

British Embassy Hungary
Embassy of the United Kingdom, Budapest
Budapest,
Füge u. 5-7,
1022 Hungary
Tel: +36 1 266 2888
Web: www.gov.uk/world/hungary
Opening hours: Monday – Friday 9 am – 9 pm