We've been featured in:

Hotel Accident Claims In Poland Guide – How To Claim Compensation For a Personal Injury In a Poland Hotel?

Holidays to Poland have become more and more popular with British tourists over recent years and while most people have a great time some are less lucky and end up sustaining an injury in the hotel. If you have had an accident in a Polish hotel which was caused by somebody else’s mistake, then you can call Legal Expert now to begin your claim against the hotel responsible.

If you would like to know more before making your claim, then carry on reading, as this hotel accidents claim guide will provide you with all of the information you will need to make your claim easier.

Select A Section

A Guide To Hotel Accident Claims In Poland

Millions of Brits visit Poland every year and have a great time, whether they are staying at a mountain lodge hotel or a city hotel, the country has some beautiful sights and some great hotels but accidents in hotels do happen and can lead to long term injuries or illnesses and can ruin your holiday.

Hotel accident claims Poland

Hotel accident claims Poland

A hotel accident claim in Poland can be made if the hotel, or it’s staff, could have done something to prevent your accident. This guide will help you by explaining what to do in the event of an accident, the types of accidents which could have happened to you, claim time limits to start your case in, and more.

The types of accidents that we’ll cover include:  Food poisoning; Slips, Trips and Falls; Injuries caused by damaged furniture; Swimming pool injuries; Bed bug bites and Injuries caused by lifts.

This list isn’t extensive, we know there are other injuries and accidents that can happen and, if your injury isn’t listed then please make contact with us and we’ll begin the claims process with you.

When Can I Make A Claim Against A Hotel In Poland?

The main reason for making a claim against a hotel is when they could have prevented your accident from occurring.  All hotels have a duty of care to protect their guests and to make regular risk assessments and then act upon any risks that have been highlighted.

This could mean, for instance, that a faulty oven is repaired as it isn’t getting hot enough or a railing fixed on a balcony as it has become loose. If these types of problems are highlighted but not acted upon then the hotel has failed in its duty of care. If you are injured because of a defect, you can make a hotel personal injury claim against the hotel (you’d never claim against a member of staff as the company that employs them is liable and has insurance to cover staff mistakes).

The hotel can be claimed against directly or, if you booked your holiday as part of a package holiday, then you can claim against the package holiday tour operator. Package holidays are covered by special regulations which offer British tourists further protection for hotel accident claims in Poland.

Do I Have Grounds To Make A Hotel Accident Claim In Poland?

You are eligible to make hotel accident claim in Poland if the accident was somebody else’s fault. You need to be able to prove that the accident could have been prevented, that a member of the hotel staff had been negligent or health and safety has not been taken seriously and such neglect meant that you suffered an injury due to this.

Guests, visitors and staff can all complete a hotel accident claim if their injury was caused by somebody else.

I Was Hurt Slipping Over At A Hotel In Poland, Can I Claim Compensation?

If you have a slip, trip or fall in a Polish hotel which was caused simply because you failed to look where you were going, not paying attention or messing around then the hotel would not be to blame and you couldn’t make a claim. However if there was something the hotel did, or didn’t do, that caused you to slip and become injured then you definitely could make a claim.

Causes of slips that could lead to compensation for falls include:

  • Uneven or damaged flooring (which can be inside or outside the hotel).
  • Slippery floors that haven’t been highlighted with warning signs.
  • Poor lighting which prevented you from seeing a trip hazard.

All of these are reasons for a fall that you couldn’t control and, as such, could mean you’re eligible to claim.

The types of injuries that can be caused by falls include: Broken bones, spinal injuries, soft tissue damage, head injuries and muscle strains and tears. Some can be resolved by a simple operation (resetting a fractured arm) but others may lead to multiple surgeries and may result in you not ever fully recovering or getting the full use of the limb back to what it was prior to the accident.

Claim Compensation For Polish Hotel Food Poisoning

Food poisoning occurs when food isn’t stored, prepared, cooked or reheated properly and can lead to life-threatening illnesses. The hotel should ensure the highest hygiene standards are upheld in food preparation areas and also in areas where food is served.

As well as the illnesses caused by poor food handling there are also some illnesses, caused by food poisoning, that can spread by contact such as noro virus. The hotel can prevent this by offering hand sanitisers around the hotel and certainly for guests entering restaurants. If this hasn’t happened and you are diagnosed with any food poisoning related illnesses, then you could make a compensation claim as the hotel hasn’t done enough to prevent the spread of illness.

Eligibility To Claim For Bed Bug Injuries

A bed bug compensation claim is not something you’d really expect to be making when you book your hotel, but it can happen if hygiene isn’t of the highest standard in the hotel. Bed bugs aren’t dangerous but can lead to painful bites and cause rashes which you can claim. Bed bugs can be spread easily and can get into your clothing and when you return home, your own house can become contaminated. The cost of removal of the bed bugs from your house could also be claimed as part of your compensation as it can be expensive and difficult without professional services.

I Was Injured In A Lift, Can I Claim Compensation?

A lot of larger hotels would be very difficult to navigate without the use of lifts and carrying luggage up and down stairs would be very difficult but if they go wrong or aren’t maintained properly and you are injured due to a faulty lift then you could make a personal injury claim against the hotel. If you are stuck in a broken-down lift for any amount of time or have an injury in a lift because it has jolted (i.e. not operated in a smooth action) then you could make a claim.

Claim For A Hotel Swimming Pool Accident

Hotel swimming pools, when maintained and supervised properly, are great fun or somewhere to relax and enjoy your stay but can also be a common place for accidents. The types of accidents and illnesses that can occur (and could’ve been prevented) include:

  • Slips and trips in areas where excessive water hasn’t been cleared up or warning signs used such as in the changing room.
  • Illnesses caused by water-borne infections due to lack of cleaning or following the maintenance schedule properly which can lead to food-poisoning type illness.
  • Burns or scalds in saunas where safety controls have not worked properly.

As you can see, swimming pool related hotel accident claims in Poland can be for anywhere around the pool, not just in the pool itself.

Old Or Damaged Furniture Causing Accidents And Injuries

Hotels should maintain, repair or replace furniture in rooms on a regular basis but it doesn’t always happen. If you have been injured because a chair broke when you sat in it or a damage railing on a balcony or in a bathroom caused you to lose your balance, then you could be able to claim compensation. It would be worth photographing any defect that you believe caused the accident.

Anything in your hotel room that is damaged, faulty or broken should be reported to hotel staff immediately especially in the case of electrical items which can cause burns or electrical shocks.

What Should You Do If Harmed On Your Hotels Grounds?   

If you’re injured in an accident in a hotel there are a number of things you can do that will make hotel accident claims in Poland easier to process when you return to the UK including:

  • Photograph the scene of the accident and get as much detail in it as possible – especially what you believe was the root cause of the accident.
  • Ask witnesses for their contact details and, if possible, ask them to write down what they saw.
  • Report your accident to the hotel staff and your package holiday rep (if you’re on package holiday). This should be recorded in some sort of logging system so ask for a copy or take the name of the person you reported it to.
  • It goes without saying that you should seek medical treatment. Sometimes injuries don’t present themselves immediately and so, especially in the case of head injuries, you should seek medical advice. In Poland you can get free or reduced cost treatment at public hospitals if you have a EHIC travel card or if you have travel insurance you may be eligible to use a private hospital.
  • Another useful tip is to write down the date and time that the accident happened and, if in a hotel room or restaurant, make a name of the room number or restaurant name as it’s very easy, when you’ve been back in the UK for a few weeks, to completely forget small details like these.

All of these steps will hopefully make claiming for your hotel accident easier when you return to the UK and Legal Expert will contact people like doctors and witnesses to gather as much evidence to support your claim as possible.

Obviously, when you’re on holiday, you should be enjoying yourself and not looking for accidents that could happen but, if the unfortunate does happen, then try to take as many of the steps listed as possible and it could make your claim much easier to process.

I Was Injured At A Hotel In Poland, What Could I Make A Compensation Claim For?

Hotel accident claims in Poland can involve a number of elements and it’s important that personal injury solicitors gather all of the evidence for each element before submitting a claim.   The elements that make up an accident abroad claim are:

  • General Damages: This is the element that deals with the pain and suffering that was inflicted on you because of the accident.  There is defined laws around how much a certain injury is worth, depending on the severity and it is up to your personal injury lawyer to prove this – usually by using medical records or consultants.
  • Medical Expenses: If you’ve had to pay for treatment or prescription medicines because of your injury you can claim these costs back as part of the claim for compensation.
  • Travel Expenses: There are a number of reasons you may claim travel costs when making a Polish accident claims including the cost of returning to the UK earlier or later than planned which meant your return ticket was invalid or if you have to travel to receive medical treatment (either in Poland or when you’re back in the UK).
  • Care Costs: If you’ve had to have somebody to help you because you were unable to do normal things yourself due to your injury then that persons costs can be claimed for. For instance, if somebody had to fly out to Poland to assist your return or if you’ve had to pay somebody to help out at home as you’re unable to complete day to day tasks because of your injury.
  • Personal Property Claim: If anything was damaged at the time of your accident such as clothing, spectacles, watches or mobile phones then the cost of repair or replacement could be added.
  • Loss Of Earnings: If your accident abroad meant you had to take time off from work, or even worse had to change job or stop working altogether then we could look at adding the lost earnings and future lost earnings to any claim.

As you can see all of the elements, except for general damages, are to reimburse you for any costs that you’ve incurred because of your accident. It would be wise to keep any receipts for any items as they will be used as evidence to support your claim.

Hotel Accident Claims Time Limits In Poland

It is the case in most countries, including Poland, that to claim compensation for a hotel injury you must submit it within strict guidelines. This table shows the types of personal injury claims and how long you have to submit them:

Edit
Type of personal injury claim Time limit to begin claim
An accident in a Polish hotel but booked through a UK package holiday 3 years may very
An independently booked hotel in Poland accident 3 years (can vary)
On a flight, that you booked yourself, to or from:

– Warsaw Chopin Airport
– Warsaw Modlin Airport
– Krakow John Paul II International airport

 2 years

All time limits can vary.

The time begins from the moment you had the accident or from the date you became aware of the injury i.e. if a doctor diagnosed an illness or injury further down the line that you weren’t aware of as it didn’t present with obvious symptoms.

If you’re unsure if your hotel claim is within the time limits, then please give us a call and we’ll discuss the dates with you. The best advice would be to begin your claim as soon as possible so that you don’t miss out on any compensation that may be due to you.

Poland Hotel Accident Claims Calculator

There are sites on the Internet that claim to have a hotel accident claims calculator but at Legal Expert we know, from the years of experience in making personal injury claims, that every case is unique and so a calculator is not always very accurate. What we can do is show you the table below which shows what amounts certain types of injuries can be awarded as general damages:

Edit
The type of injury sustained Comments Payout range for type of injuy
Minor injuries Injuries where there is a full recovery within three months. £1,200 to £2,150
Minor injuries Injuries where there is a full recovery within one month. £600 to £1,200
Minor injuries Injuries where there is a full recovery within a week. £100 to £600
Fractures of Cheekbones Serious fractures requiring surgery £8,940 to £13,840
Multiple Fractures of Facial Bones Some facial deformity of a permanent nature. £13,080 to £21,000
Severe Knee Injuries Less severe disability. £22,960 to £38,120
Severe Knee Injuries Leg fracture extending into the knee joint. £45,700 to £61,140
Severe Knee Injuries Serious knee injury where there has been disruption of the joint. £61,140 to £84,360
Wrist Injuries Significant permanent disability, but where some useful movement remains. £21,480 to £34,340
Wrist Injuries Complete loss of function. £41,760 to £52,490
Shoulder Injuries Severe £16,830 to £42,110
Neck Injuries Severe
Associated with incomplete paraplegia or resulting in permanent spastic quadriparesis.		 In the region of £130,060

Remember this is only a guide and every case is different. If you were injured in Poland and your injury isn’t listed, then don’t worry as we’ve only picked a sample of injuries but can help with claims for any accident at a hotel in Poland.

No Win No Fee Hotel Accident Claims In Poland

There are clients who’ve told us how worried they are about the cost of legal fees when using a personal injury solicitor. There are solicitors who charge their clients by the hour, even if they win or lose the case and the client can end up with a huge legal fee with no result but that’s not how Legal Expert work.

We offer a risk-free solution called a conditional fee agreement (or CFA but better known as a no win no fee agreement). We think it is the fairest way to make a personal injury claim as it means if we don’t get you compensation for your injury then you don’t have to pay a penny.

When you register your claim with us, and we agree to take the claim on, we provide you with a copy of the no win no fee CFA document which explains the percentage of your compensation that we’ll charge if we are successful and that if we don’t win anything then you don’t pay anything at all. Once the percentage has been agreed, it won’t change regardless of how long the claim takes to process.

This way there are no surprise fees at the end of your case and you don’t need to spend the whole of the case worrying about the bill if you lose.

How We Can Help Victims Of Hotel Accidents In Poland

Our team, based in the UK, are friendly and professional and work with clients in a clear and concise way but without bombarding them with legal jargon. We have worked with many clients over many years making all sorts of personal injury compensation claims including those who’ve been injured in Poland.

We will keep you informed throughout the process and if an offer of compensation is made by the hotel then we’ll let you know the amount and if we think it is a fair amount for your injuries.

We’re available when you need us and can answer any queries you may have along the way.  Our specialists are available quickly when you need us and contactable in a number of different ways (detailed later on) meaning you can contact us easily.

Begin Your Claim Today

If, after reading this guide about hotel accident claims in Poland, our no win no fee service and our friendly professional team of personal injury solicitors, you’re ready to make a claim with us then there a number of ways to get in touch:

Please get in touch even if you still have any questions and we’ll do all we can to answer them for you.

Helpful Links

Hopefully you’ve read enough about hotel accident claims in Poland to begin your claim, here are some more useful links in case you need further information:

Healthcare in Poland – A guide to getting treatment in Poland from the NHS

Travel guide for Poland – A guide from the British government

Package holiday claims guide – Our guide about accidents on a package holiday, not just in the hotel.

Package holiday regulations 1992 – This is the set of regulations, written by the British government to add extra protection for tourists who book through package holiday providers.

If you have any more questions or queries regarding this claims guide or your own claim, then please get in touch with Legal Expert today.

Edited by Melissa.