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How much compensation can I claim for injury in the Netherlands

Holiday accident NetherlandsIn this guide, you will find information and advice on how to make holiday accident claims in the Netherlands if you have been the victim of an accident, suffered an injury or contracted an illness on holiday in Holland.

You will find information on what to do in case of an emergency while you are on holiday in the Netherlands. You will also find information on what to do if you need to make a holiday compensation claim.

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A Guide to Travel Compensation in The Netherlands

Over 2 million UK tourists visit the Netherlands every year, for a short break or a longer vacation. Most of these holidaymakers have a pleasurable holiday and return to the UK safely. For a small percentage, their holiday is ruined by being involved in an accident, being injured, or developing an illness while they are on holiday in Holland. This guide is aimed at helping these people, who need to make holiday accident claims in Holland. On this page you will find the following information:

  • What you should do if you are the victim of an accident, are injured, or contract an illness on holiday in the Netherlands, from the viewpoint of making a successful holiday compensation claim. This covers both actions you can take while you are still on holiday, and actions you should take when you get home to the UK.
  • Information on contacting the emergency services in the Netherlands, including telephone numbers for each emergency service.
  • Information on how to gain access to healthcare and medical treatment if you have been injured in an accident or become sick while on holiday in the Netherlands.
  • Details of the time-limit for making a range of different types of holiday compensation claims.
  • Detailed information on many of the most common causes of accidents, injuries and illnesses that UK tourists fall foul of while on holiday in the Netherlands.
  • An introduction to the national holiday compensation claims service operated by Legal Expert, as well as details of our No Win No Fee scheme.
  • Useful contact information and links.

What to Do If You Have an Accident or Injury in The Netherlands

Before making holiday accident claims solicitors need to be sure that the person they are claiming for, as a viable reason for making a claim in the first place. If you don’t have a viable reason to claim, then it is unlikely that any solicitor will take your case on.

There are a number of steps you can take to make sure that any accident, illness, or injury you are the victim of while on holiday in the Netherlands, has the best chance of being eligible for compensation. There are steps you can take while you are still on holiday, and steps you can take when you get back to the UK, and these are:

Steps to take while you are still on holiday in the Netherlands:

If you are involved in an accident such as a car crash while you are on holiday in the Netherlands, be sure you report the accident to the police. When you do, be sure to write down the name of the police officers you deal with, and also ask them whether there is a unique reference number for the incident.

  • Make sure that you receive proper medical treatment for your injury or illness. When you do, write down the names of the doctors who treat you, and ask if you can have a copy of your medical file or the reference number.
  • If you booked your holiday in the UK, through a UK based package holiday or tour operator, then be sure to call the vendor and tell them what has happened. Write down the name of any people you deal with and ask them if there is a unique reference number for the incident.
  • If you intend to claim on your medical or travel insurance, then be sure to call them and let them know. You will need to clear any expenditure through your insurer, and pre-warning them will make this process simpler.
  • Gather the name and contact details of any witnesses to the event. This includes local Dutch people, as they may be useful to provide testimony later in the holiday compensation claim process.
  • Take photographs of anything that relates to the holiday compensation claim. For example, if you were injured due to an electric shock delivered by a damaged switch in your room, then photograph the switch.

Steps to take when you have returned home to the UK:

  • Contact your package holiday or tour vendor to let them know you are home safely, and to check that they have all of the information you gave them while you were still in the Netherlands on record.
  • Contact your medical or travel insurer to let them know that you are home safely. If you had to pay any of your own medical costs while on holiday, now is the time to ask how to claim the money back.
  • Visit your GP or the hospital to have your injury or illness checked out. To make sure you have received proper treatment while on holiday in Holland, and also to ensure the illness or injury is recorded within the UK health system.
  • Contact Legal Expert on the number at the bottom of this page to find out how our holiday compensation claims service can help you claim the damages you are entitled to.

At the links below, you will find additional information pertaining to claiming for accidents abroad and claiming against a package tour company:

Making claims for holiday accidents overseas

Making claims against a package holiday tour operator

How to Contact the Emergency Services in The Netherlands

If while you are on holiday, you have an accident in Holland or are taken ill, you need to be able to deal with the emerging emergency situation. To assist in this, we have provided the contact numbers of all of the emergency services in the Netherlands.

The Government of the Netherlands operates a unified point of contact for all emergency services. Simply dial 112 and you will be asked which service you wish to contact.

There are several unique numbers for the less commonly required emergency services in Holland, and these are:

  • Coastguard – 0900 0111
  • SOS 24-hour helpline in the English language – 0900 0767

For UK holidaymakers who need assistance from the Government at home, the following contact details will be useful:

  • British Embassy – +31 (0)70 4270 427
  • British Consulate – +31 (0)70 4270 427

The contact details above will help you carry out the most critical steps in ensuring you have done everything possible to have the best chance of claiming holiday compensation. This includes:

  • Contacting the police
  • Receiving medical attention
  • Contacting your tour or package holiday vendor
  • Contacting your medical or travel insurance firm

How to Access Healthcare in The Netherlands

There is good news for UK holidaymakers who need to access healthcare in the Netherlands to receive medical treatment while they are on holiday in Holland. The Netherlands is part of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme. This means that as long as you have a valid EHIC, you will be able to access exactly the same level of free medical care as a resident of Holland.

If you have lost your EHIC or forgot to take it with you on holiday, you can contact the Department of Health Overseas Healthcare on +44 191 218 1999. You will be issued a temporary card. Follow the link below for more information on the EHIC and to apply for one:

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

There is a second option available to UK holidaymakers in Holland with regards to receiving medical treatment. The option of using private healthcare facilities. If you have medical or travel insurance, you may be able to access private healthcare in the Netherlands. You will need to contact your insurance firm to ask their permission, and they will have to OK the treatment as well. Your insurer will then deal directly with the healthcare provider in Holland to pay your medical bill. However, in some (rare) circumstances you might need to pay for your own treatment in the Netherlands and claim the money back from your insurance firm when you return to the UK.

Time Limits for Making A Compensation Claim in The Netherlands

If you are the unfortunate victim of an accident in the Netherlands or have become ill while on vacation in Holland, then you could be able to claim compensation. However, you need to know that there are certain time-limits in doing so, and you have to begin your claim within these limits.

Edit
Circumstances of Claim Time Limit
On a pre-booked holiday, flight or trip that was booked in the UK. 3 years
On a privately booked holiday, flight or trip. 5 years
On a privately booked flight to or from:
• Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Amsterdam
• Eindhoven Airport, Eindhoven
• Maastricht Aachen Airport, Maastrict
• Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Rotterdam 2 years

 2 years

Package Holiday Travel Compensation Netherlands

In order to make a claim for travel compensation Netherlands visitors who booked their trip in the UK, through a package holiday or tour company that operates in the UK, must notify the vendor if they have been the victim of an accident, suffered an injury, or become ill while on holiday.

If you booked your Holland trip through UK travel vendors such as Thomas Cook, EasyJet, TUI, etc. then you are protected under the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992. These regulations are in place to protect UK consumers and provide them with the leverage they need to successfully sue the travel company for damages, despite the event causing the damages taking place overseas.

Legal Expert has plenty of experience in dealing with UK based travel vendors who have failed to conform with these regulations, allowing us to successfully claim holiday compensation on behalf of our clients.

Netherlands Compensation Claims We Can Help With

You could use a holiday compensation calculator to get a rough idea of the amount of holiday compensation you can claim. A much better idea is to call Legal Expert on the number at the end of this page. We will then be able to give you a more accurate idea.

Our team of holiday compensation solicitors have plenty of experience in claiming holiday compensation across a very wide range of cases, the most common of which we have detailed in the sections below.

Hotel Accident Claims

If you have been injured while staying in a hotel in the Netherlands compensation could be available. The most common type of accidents and injuries we see holidaymakers in Holland suffer from are:

  • Swimming pool accidents.
  • Exercise equipment and gym accidents.
  • Injuries caused by faulty or poorly maintained room fittings.
  • Slips, trips and falls on a dirty, wet or badly maintained floor.
  • Food poisoning and other food-related illness contracted by heating food in the hotel restaurant.
  • Road traffic accidents whilst riding as a passenger on hotel provided transport.

This is not a full list, so please call us if you have been injured in any other way while staying in a hotel in Holland.

Holiday Food Poisoning Claims

For most UK residents who travel Netherlands food is usually pretty safe. The country has a good history of making sure premises that serve food, do so to a good standard of hygiene. However, accidents do happen, and despite the generally high quality of eateries in Holland, a percentage of UK visitors to the Netherlands suffer from food poisoning while visiting the country each year.

If you begin to suffer symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps while you on holiday, you should seek medical attention, as you may have contracted food poisoning.

Legal Expert can help you claim holiday compensation for the food-related illness, and also to cover any other damages, such as having to miss work whilst you recuperated.

Slips, Trips, and Falls

Slips, trips and galls are the most common accidents in the world, so it comes as no surprise that they are also the most common type of accident UK visitors to Holland fall foul of.

A slip, trip or fall can happen in many ways, such as:

Tripping whilst stepping on to or off public transport.

Sipping on flooring that has not been dried properly.

Tripping on uneven surfaces such as cobblestones, or damaged paving slabs.

Falling down stars due to tripping on an obstacle.

If you have suffered a slip, trip or a fall while on holiday in the Netherlands, then Legal Expert might be able to help you claim holiday compensation.

Cycling Accident Claims

The Netherlands is a very popular destination for cycling tours in the summer months, due to its very flat geography. Consider for a moment that in the UK only 2% of all trips are made by bicycle, whereby in Holland, 26% of all trips are made by bicycle.

Therefore, simply due to the large number of cyclists in Holland, the occurrence of cycling accidents is quite high.

If you are on a cycling holiday in the Netherlands and you are on a cycling tour organised by a UK travel vendor, then you must report the accident to them. You should also make sure that the police are informed. Be sure to take photographs of the license numbers of all vehicles involved in the accident as well.

Road Traffic Accidents in The Netherlands

Each year, around 700 people are killed in a Netherlands car accident or an accident involving some other type of vehicle. A small number of these are visitors from the UK. If you have been injured in a road traffic accident on holiday, you may be able to claim compensation for RTA in Holland when you return home.

To have the best chance of winning your compensation claim, you should be sure to collect the contact details for everyone involved in the accident. It is also a good idea to take photographs of all of the licence numbers of the vehicles involved. Also, make sure the police are informed if they did not attend the scene of the accident.

Alcohol, Drug and Drowning Injuries

The Netherlands is often seen as a drug-friendly destination for UK visitors. The fact that certain drugs can be purchased legally in coffee shops, makes destinations such as Amsterdam popular with a certain type of visitor. Whilst most people return home unharmed, despite sampling the local wares, some do get into trouble such as:

Taking drugs or drinking alcohol too much, leading them to become overly intoxicated.

Taking stronger drugs than they are used to back home, leading to a medical emergency.

Accidents such as falling into a canal in Amsterdam due to being intoxicated.

Should I Use a Dutch Solicitor?

Even if they are not booked through a UK travel agency Netherlands hospitality venues such as hotels and restaurants can be sued from overseas.

There is no need to use a local Dutch solicitor, the Legal Expert claims service in the UK can claim compensation for you overseas.

No Win No Fee Holiday Accident Claims

Legal Expert offers our national holiday compensation claims service as the simplest, most effective way to claim damages for accidents, injuries or illnesses that happen while you are on holiday in the Netherlands.

We can offer most clients a No Win No Fee agreement, meaning we don’t charge you anything at all unless we actually win you a compensation payment. This means the entire claims process is financially risk-free for you.

Biggest Cities In The Netherlands by Population

  • Amsterdam
  • Rotterdam
  • The Hague
  • Utrecht
  • Eindhoven
  • Tilburg
  • Groningen
  • Almere Stad
  • Breda
  • Nijmegen
  • Enschede
  • Haarlem
  • Arnhem
  • Zaanstad
  • Amersfoort
  • Apeldoorn

Starting Your Claim

If you are ready to begin making a holiday compensation claim, then you should call Legal Expert on 0800 073 8804 now. We will take all of the details of your case, and then offer you some free legal advice on what we think you should do next. In most cases, this will be to use our No Win No Fee claims service, to get you the compensati0on you are eligible for, at no financial risk.

Useful Links

British Embassy The Hague

Lange Voorhout 10

2514 ED The Hague

Netherlands

Tel: +31 (0)70 4270 427

Opening hours: The British Embassy is open from 9:00 to 17:00 for those who have appointments with Embassy staff.

British Consulate General Amsterdam

Koningslaan 44

1075 AE Amsterdam

Netherlands

Tel: +31 (0)70 4270 427

Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 09:00 to 12:30.

At the link below, you will find information on how to gain access to healthcare services while you are on holiday in the Netherlands.

Healthcare in the Netherlands for visitors

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    Meet The Team

    • Patrick Mallon legal expert author

      Patrick is a Grade A solicitor having qualified in 2005. He's an an expert in accident at work and public liability claims and is currently our head of the EL/PL department. Get in touch today for free to see how we can help you.

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