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Personal Injury Claims In Iceland Guide – How To Claim Compensation For A Holiday Accident – How Much

Iceland is a beautiful country, full of sights that will stay in the memory forever. From the Northern Lights, to volcanos, lava fields and geysers, there are so many things to see and do that it is no wonder people flock there every year with expectations of seeing some of the world’s most spectacular beauty. What we don’t expect, however, is to see the inside of a hospital. Unfortunately, accidents do happen abroad from slips and trips in hotels, to food poisoning due to poor hygiene, to accidents on the water, to train accidents in Iceland and more. You may assume that it would not be possible to launch a compensation claim for an accident that was no fault of your own if it happened in another country. This could not be further from the truth, and holiday accident claims in Iceland can often be handled from the UK without need for you to leave the country to oversee them.

Holiday accident claims Iceland

Holiday accident claims Iceland

In the definitive guide to holiday accident claims in Iceland that you can read below, all the information you need to conduct holiday accident claims in Iceland is included. We have taken a look at common accidents that happen in Iceland, such as road accident in Iceland claims, Iceland travel and advice, and what happens when you have an accident on holiday. We also show how Legal Expert can help give you advice and start your claim for you, from right here in the UK. If you’re already ready to go ahead with a claim and Then 0800 073 8804 connects you to our team of legally trained advisors, who can take you through the processes needed to begin to claim. Otherwise, feel free to read all of the advice below before you make any decision.

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A guide to accident claims in Iceland

Lots of people visit Iceland for variety of different reasons. In fact, approximately 323,000 visitors from the UK visit Iceland each year. While most of these visits to go off without a hitch, accidents can happen in any country in the world, which is why we often take steps to get the relevant holiday insurance to cover us for any unforeseen events. But what if the unforeseen event is a little more serious than lost luggage? With this many visitors coming across from the UK to Iceland each year, it is only natural for some accidents to befall some of these people. However, whatever the type of accident, injuring yourself abroad means that not only is your holiday ruined, you may also have to have treatment when you return to the UK, and in some serious cases, might have your life changed completely by holiday accidents in Iceland.

If you have, for example, been injured in a road accident in Iceland, then you might have complex fractures that could take a long while to get over, and if you have partaken in water activities & watersports in Iceland then you may have even become paralysed. Obviously these are extreme examples, but anything from a simple fracture or bout of food poisoning could cause problems and financial upset once you’ve returned from your holiday, not to mention spoiling the holiday itself. If this is something that has happened to you, then you’re likely to feel that this is unfair, especially if someone else has caused your injury or illness. With it happening in another country, however, many people fail to see that they could in fact be one of the people who put forward successful accident claims in Iceland every year, missing out on the vital compensation they are legally entitled to.

We have therefore compiled a lot of information for you on this subject, ensuring that you are well-educated on the restrictions and complexities of how to make a claim, and why you need a personal injury lawyer to help you with that claim. Iceland holiday compensation claims don’t have to mean you need an Icelandic lawyer; you just need someone on your side in the UK who can provide a solicitor that covers holiday accident claims in Iceland.

What are the first steps you should take if injured in an accident in Iceland?

You may panic if you are injured in Iceland, but if you are intending to pursue holiday accident claims in Iceland or not, what you should do would be fairly similar to what you would do if you were in the UK. Of course, the minute you’ve become ill or injured, your first priority will be to seek medical attention, but you should also make sure to contact your tour operator and insurance company at this time too, in order to report what has happened and take advice on what you should do next. If you have a camera available, it would be wise to get some photos of the site of accident, or the cause of illness, as well as pictures of any injury you might have been afflicted with. On top of this, any witnesses (common in road accidents in Iceland) should provide their details for you to contact them should you need to, and you should also make sure that you keep receipts of anything you may have had to pay for out there because of what’s happened.

How to contact the emergency services in Iceland

Depending on the type and severity of the accident you’ve been involved in, you might have cause to report your accident to the authorities and emergency services. Doing so should be fairly easy, and we have provided some handy numbers below in case you’ve happened on this site immediately after holiday accidents in Iceland.

Firstly, the first number to call – in essence just like our 999 – is 112. This is for emergency services, such as ambulance, fire brigade and police. After that, you could ring directory enquiries for things like local pharmacies, hire car services etc, which can be done by dialling 118 or for International Directories 1811. If search and rescue were required then the number would be 570 -5900. For health enquiries that do not necessarily require an emergency visit to hospital, then 1770 is the out of hours number. Finally, if you believe someone you’re with is at the hospital and you aren’t you can call 543-2000 to be put through to the emergency department at Landspítali hospital. If you require assistance from the Embassy, their contact details are found below:

British Embassy

Laufásvegur 31
101 Reykjavík
Iceland

Telephone+354 550 5100

Do remember, whatever situation you’re in and whatever the injuries you’ve obtained, then it is essential you seek some form of medical attention, as your health is the biggest priority. Then ensure you contact the provider for your travel insurance and report it to the authorities. After the most essential things are done, then gather any evidence you might need as detailed previously in this guide, and then contact Legal Expert, who can help you push a claim for compensation to a successful conclusion, via provision of an excellent personal injury lawyer.

Medical treatment options for tourists in Iceland

When it comes to medical treatment in Iceland, it is good to know that they offer a range of high-quality services and you shouldn’t go short of medical assistance should you need it. Make sure you arrange travel insurance that covers all of the activities that you’re looking to do, as well as the standard services that most insurance companies offer. In addition to this, it would be wise to apply for an EHIC card, which is valid for treatment required in Iceland. This is a reciprocal agreement between member countries that allows access to equivalent treatment as you would receive in the UK for either free or reduced costs.

In order to obtain medical attention, you can use the emergency numbers above, or ask your hotel or tour operator for assistance with any medical need and they should be able to point you in the right direction. Failing that, a call to 1770 should get you all the advice you need.

How long do I have to make a compensation claim for an accident or illness which happened in Iceland?

You might not have considered making holiday accident claims in Iceland initially, but after you’ve returned to the UK, you may have realised that in fact, you could have cause to claim. If that’s the case and you’re looking to make holiday accident claims in Iceland then you might want to get started fairly soon, as not only will events be clearer in your mind and it’ll be easier to gather evidence, but also you need to be within the time limits for holiday accident claims in Iceland.

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Injury and/or Illness Situation Time Limits
If you’ve booked travel as a package, through one of the UK operators, and have become ill or injured while in travel or in a hotel or as part of an organised tour. Within 3 Years
A private trip that was booked separately and not as a package Time Limits can differ depending on situation – call Legal Expert for Advice
Injury or illness during a privately-booked flight (non-package) to or from: Usually 2 years

Claims for sickness or injury on a package holiday to Iceland

If you were to have booked your trip to Iceland with one of the UK’s tour operators, you might be interested to find out that you should be covered for compensation on the Package Travel/Package Tours/Package Holiday Regulations of 1992, which works to protect people travelling to other countries who have booked through a tour operator. The most important thing to remember when considering putting forward a claim is contact your tour operator as soon as you possibly can. We’ve included some of the names and numbers of the most common Iceland tour operators from the UK here, in case of holiday accidents in Iceland. We hope you find them useful.

Injury and illness claims Legal Expert can help with in Iceland

There are a huge variety of different accident in Iceland claims that we can help with here at Legal Expert. Essentially, if you have had a holiday accident in Iceland that was down to the fault of someone else, then we shall certainly be able to provide a solicitor to help with your claim. Some examples we can cover are mentioned in the sections below in more detail, as they are some of the most common claims, but if your situation isn’t mentioned, it doesn’t mean you can’t claim for it.

Hotel accident and illness compensation cases

Illnesses and accidents in hotels abroad are actually not as uncommon as you may think, and holiday accidents in Iceland involving food poisoning from onsite restaurants, slips and trips on slippery floors or unsecured carpet can lead to successful compensation payouts. It’s not uncommon to see injuries resulting from poor swimming pool hygiene either. When it comes to hotels with onsite gymnasiums, this is another site that can cause injury and illness, either from poor maintenance and repair of gym equipment or from unhygienic cleaning practices. Onsite beauty salons and spas can also cause illness and injury from contact dermatitis to scalp burns and more. Whatever has happened onsite in the hotel you’ve been staying in, it’s worth giving us a call to see whether we feel you can claim compensation for holiday accidents in Iceland in a hotel.

Claims for illness abroad in Iceland

One of the worst kinds of illness, food poisoning can ruin an experience completely and lead to worsening problems when you return home. Sometimes when we go away we assume the same care is taken to prepare food, and whilst this is often the case, there is always the chance you could strike it unlucky and opt to eat in a place that does not have food hygiene standards as high as you’d expect. The severity and range of symptoms of food poisoning can range from uncomfortable feelings in the stomach, to pain and to excruciating cramps. Loose stools and vomiting can also ensue. There are a number of ways in which food can become contaminated by bacteria. Some of these ways include:

  • Food left uncovered and exposed to airborne bacteria and insects
  • Food that hasn’t been stored at the right temperature level
  • Food that hasn’t been cooked through properly or has been badly reheated
  • Food that has been prepared by unhygienic practices

Whatever the reason you’ve suffered some form of illness due to food contamination, you can certainly look into making a claim and we can help.

Injury from slipping or falling over

Just as in the UK, slipping or falling over leads to holiday accidents in Iceland too. If a floor is not well-maintained in a commercial building, or you slip on an unmarked spillage, or even if there is a trip hazard that has not been effectively cleared away or pointed out with signage, you could have cause to launch an accident claim for any injuries you might have had to bear. Slips and falls can happen almost anywhere, from alighting and boarding aeroplanes or coaches, to steps at hotels and more.

Depending on the way you’ve fallen and the height you might have fallen from, you could have anything from bruising and sprains to concussion or broken bones. In extreme cases, you may even suffer life changing injuries. If this is someone’s fault other than your own, then you should certainly consider claiming compensation as you may need the funds to help you live a better life after your injury.

Accidents and injuries on an activity in Iceland

There is so much to see and do in Iceland and it’s important to remember that while partaking of activites is something we all love to do, it’s important that the person operating or organising the activity does so in a manner to keep you safe. For example, if you were to go jetskiing, you’d expect the equipment to be well-maintained and there to be restrictions on things such as age and experience. There are, however sometimes when things go wrong and someone else could be at fault. If this is the case with you, then you’re likely to have holiday accidents in Iceland claims.

Tourist road traffic accidents in Iceland

No matter what country you visit, you’re sure to notice the driving rules are slightly different to the UK. Although in Iceland, traffic incidents have reduced in frequency recently (It has been widely reported that in 2017, they were down 21 percent) there is still the chance that you could be injured while on the roads as a driver or passenger, or even as a pedestrian.

In fact, there is actually more of a chance of you being injured on the Icelandic roads as a tourist. The number of tourists that have been injured on Iceland’s roads has doubled in the last 7 years, and in 2017, 234 tourists were said to have been injured on the roads. If you have been involved in holiday accidents in Iceland on the roads, and it was an accident that someone else caused, then it’s very possible that we can help you with claiming compensation.

Do I need to use an Icelandic solicitor for my claim?

If you thought that it might be too much hassle conducting holiday accident claims in Iceland, especially because of language difficulties, and assumed that it was only an Icelandic solicitor that would be able to handle the claim you’re putting forward, then you might be surprised to find out that a UK based solicitor would be able to cover your case. Here at Legal Expert, we are able to provide holiday accident in Iceland claims solicitors that can work from the UK, with the relevant people to push your case to a successful conclusion. Why not call us to find out more.

No win no fee holiday accident claims solicitors

Sadly, a good number of people who have valid holiday accident claims in Iceland will not have sought the help they required because they assume it would take a lot of money to begin one such case. But this isn’t how it has to be. Instead, you can start a claim without putting a penny upfront. How, you may ask? Well, the answer lies in no win no fee Iceland accident claims. How this plays out is by the lawyer you’ve been provided from our panel signing an agreement with you that should your case result in compensation, they’d receive a percentage (which is capped) of the compensation payout. If you didn’t get any money, nor would they, as you would not be paying any legal bills. We love surprising people by explaining this way to make claims, as it allows anyone, regardless of their situation financially to make holiday accident claims in Iceland.

Start your claim

There’s not a better moment than now to call 0800 073 8804, where you’ll be able to speak to someone who knows what they’re talking about with regards to holiday accident claims in Iceland. Our experienced, friendly operators will be able to give you an answer on whether you’re likely to have a successful claim over the phone, after we’ve asked a few important questions and listened to your story. You’ll find our service easy to use and extremely helpful for holiday accident claims in Iceland, as we’ll gladly provide you with solicitors experienced in holiday accident claims in Iceland, who have handled claims similar in circumstance to yours. You’ll also benefit from the no win no fee way of working, which means your claim will be risk-free. There’s really no reason to wait and see if you’ve got a claim, call us and find out for free today!

Useful Links

To help you with some further information that might be relevant, we have included a couple of links. We think you’ll find some good material here too. First though, let us re-iterate how to get hold of the embassy in Iceland should you need to.
British Embassy

Laufásvegur 31
101 Reykjavík
Iceland

Telephone+354 550 5100

The embassy’s website – We’ve included a link to the embassy too, should you wish to see more on how they can help.

NHS – Healthcare within Iceland – You can see more on healthcare services in Iceland here.

Compensation for Holiday Accidents Abroad – Our guide on holiday accidents might furnish you with further information.