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How much compensation can I claim for injury in Romania?

If you have had an accident or become ill whilst abroad, you may be able to make a holiday illness compensation claim or claim for an accident. You could be able to claim compensation for things such as pain and suffering as well as any financial losses you have suffered as a direct result of the incident. Our holiday complaint solicitors can help with a very wide range of different holiday accident claims in Romania, such as those we look at in the guide below.

holiday accident claims in RomaniaRomania may not be a traditional holiday destination for Brits but as more people from Romania have moved to the UK and since their general opening up to the West, more and more people visit the country each year. In 2015, Romania was the fastest growing holiday destination for British tourists. Around 340,000 people visited Romania from the UK in 2015, which double the number of tourists who visited in 2010. Whilst part of this can be accounted for by people who have made the UK their home visiting family and friends back in Romania, destinations such as Bucharest are becoming more popular for long-weekends and city breaks and it is becoming increasingly popular as a ski holiday destination.

Whilst most visits to Romania will be incident free, for some people things will go wrong. Common accidents can include skiing accidents, road traffic accidents, food poisoning, carbon monoxide poisoning and swimming pool accidents. So, if you have been injured as a result of an accident what should you do?

In this guide to making holiday accident claims in Romania we will take you through what you should do to get the compensation you could be entitled to, as well as what circumstances could lead to an accident, injury, or illness in Romania.

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A guide to Romania accident and injury claims

Whether for a skiing holiday in Poiana Brașov or Brasov, beach resorts like Mamaia or a city break to Bucharest, Romania is a country which is both relatively new & undiscovered, as well as being increasingly popular for British tourists. Its popularity has been increased by the development of beach and ski resorts and more Romania people living in the UK.

Whilst you may have been careful to only book your flights, accommodation and activities with a package holiday or other accredited tour operator organising holidays in Romania, you may still find yourself being injured in Romania and needing to use holiday complaint solicitors to make a compensation claim. Either due to accident or negligence illness or injury can happen to any tourist visiting any country. Peoples holidays can be ruined by things such as suffering food poisoning or being injured whilst participating in a sport or other outdoor activity. Some accidents could mean that you have to use the emergency services in Romania for treatment. More serious injury or illness could see you cutting your holiday short and returning to the UK.

Common compensation claims for accidents or illness in Romania could include slips, trips, and falls, watersports or skiing accidents and injuries whilst on an excursion. You could even be injured whilst boarding or disembarking the aircraft or being transferred to or from the airport. All of these circumstances could be covered either by your package holiday or tour operator or private travel insurance. Even if not, we could still help you make a claim against the responsible party.

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

If you have suffered an accident, illness or been injured in Romania there are steps you should take as early as possible to give you a better chance of making a successful compensation claim later. Even if you are not sure whether you will have grounds to make a claim these steps will make the process of doing so easier.

  • Firstly, you should make sure you get any medical attention and treatment you need as early as possible. Looking after your health (or that of anyone else you are claiming for) is the most important step.
  • Secondly, you should note or find out who the negligent party is, or who was responsible for the your accident or illness. This could be a holiday company, a restaurant, ski resort or other service provider.
  • Finally, gather any evidence of the accident or injury that you can.

To provide you with further help in the initial stages of making a claim, we have produced two further (more general) guides about the claims process and and steps you should take. The first is a guide to how to claim for an injury abroad and the second on how to make a claim against a package holiday operator.

Emergency contact numbers and information for Romania

If you are involved in an accident in Romania (such as a Romania car crash), are injured or otherwise need emergency assistance or to report an accident, you can contact the emergency services in Romania by calling 112. You can ask for the police by requesting ‘Politie’ You can call free of charge on any mobile phone or landline.

There are several other Romania words or terms which you should know if you are accessing the emergency services.

AMBULANCE: The Romanian word for ambulance is “ambulanta”.
PARAMEDIC: Paramedics are known by the acronym SMURD. This stands for “Serviciul Mobil de Urgenta, Reanimare si Descarcerare”.
HOSPITAL: The Romanian word for this is SPITAL.

If you are involved in any road traffic accident in Romania which leads to injury, you are legally required to report the incident and injuries to the police. The police will make an official report and you should request a copy of this. The report can form part of either a claim on your motor or travel insurance and can help to support a compensation claim.

Getting medical treatment after an accident

If you are sick or injured whilst in Romania, you are entitled to access the public healthcare system using the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) system. You will need to apply for this before leaving the UK. The EHIC system only entitles you to necessary treatment which would be provided to a resident of this country and does not cover any treatment or medication at a private facility. As such having an EHIC is not a substitute for having comprehensive travel insurance, including medical cover.

Healthcare for travellers in Romania operates in the same way as that provided to residents. An important piece of health information for travellers to Romania is that the country operates what is called a co-pay system. This means patients are asked to pay towards the cost of some tests, medication, and treatment. It should also be noted that some patients have been asked to pay for the costs of items such as latex gloves as well as syringes as part of their medical bills.

If you do receive any medical treatment in Romania, it is important that you get receipts for any payments you make which includes itemised information if possible. This can help you to either include the costs in your compensation claim or to recover it from a travel insurance provider. You can find more health information for travellers to Romania at this link.

Compensation claim time limits in Romania

If you need to make a claim using holiday complaint solicitors for an accident or injury in Romania, you should be aware of any time limits in which to make your claim. Similar to claims in England and Wales, there is a three-year period in which to make a claim. It should be noted that Romania law is not always straightforward. If you have had an accident, been injured or suffered an illness in Romania you should contact an expert solicitor as early as possible after the accident.

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Circumstances of injury or illness Time Limit for Claim
Claims for illness or injury which happened on a package holiday in Romania. This includes activities booked through tour operators based in the UK. 3 years
Illness or injury which happened on a holiday which was booked privately/ independently, i.e. one not booked through a tour or holiday company. 3 years
Illness or injury which happened on a flight between Romania and the UK. Flight must not have been booked as part of a package holiday, or else claim is made for this. 2 years

City break and package holiday injury claims

Have you had an accident on a package holiday? Romania is becoming more popular for a variety of different holiday types from beach resorts to ski holidays and city breaks. There are many package holiday companies serving Romania, the biggest include Cosmos, Balkan Holidays and Thomas Cook.

In England and Wales, legislation such as the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 enables people who have suffered an injury or illness whilst on holiday in Romania to make a claim against their travel agent. The legislation also allows these claims to be made in a court in England or Wales.

If the holiday company or tour operator was negligent in some way in their responsibility to look after you and the accident or injury resulted from this they may be liable for both the injuries and for any compensation claims you make to them. If you contracted an illness because their hotel was not hygienic, or was injured in an activity they organised you could be able to make a claim against them.

If you have been injured whilst on any package holiday you should report the incident to either your holiday representative or the company straight away.

Injury claims we can help with in Romania

From claims for a road traffic accident in Romania to an accident on a package holiday, our team can provide you with UK based solicitors to help with a range of different holiday compensation claims. Some of the most common circumstances which may lead to you making an accident claim could include;

  • Injury or sickness caused by an airline
  • Poor hotel hygiene leading to illness.
  • Slips, trips, and falls.
  • Skiing accidents and injury.
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Injuries on excursions.
  • Road traffic accidents.
  • Food poisoning.
  • Swimming pool Accident

In the sections below we briefly look at some of these leading causes for claims.

Hotel accident claims

If you have become ill or had an injury as a result of negligence on the part of a hotel, or party operating on the hotel’s premises, you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation. As with any personal injury claim brought in the UK, you can claim for yourself or on behalf of someone else, such as family member or child.

Common accidents which happen in hotels can include slips, trips, and falls, especially in areas such as a bathroom or by a swimming pool. Food poisoning which can happen in the restaurant, through drinking water or from contaminated water in a swimming pool.

Our team is on hand seven days a week to help you to start your hotel accident claim.

Holiday food poisoning and water-borne illness claims in Romania

Food poisoning can be caused by a variety of different factors such as food which has not been stored or prepared in the correct way, or by cross-contamination with other foods. You may also suffer food poisoning by drinking the local water if contaminated. Most foods available in Romania are safe to eat and will not cause any form or illness.

Unlike some countries there are no specific warnings related to food poisoning or water-borne illness in Romania and the UK government as well as the NHS do not give any specific advice for travellers to Romania related to foods or Romania tourist food poisoning cases. If you have suffered Romania tourist food poisoning you could be entitled to make a holiday illness compensation claim.

Skiing accidents in Romania

According to statistics on the frequency and nature of skiing accident and injuries, the sport is one of the most dangerous activities to participate in. Skiing injuries can include injury to the tendons and ligaments, muscular strains and through to broken bones or even extremely serious injuries such as head injuries. British tourists on ski holidays to Romania are at greater risk if they are not experienced or have little practice at skiing. People are also at greater risk if they do not follow the correct safety procedures and wear the correct safety equipment.

If your skiing accident in Romania was caused by the negligent actions of someone else you could be able to claim compensation. This could happen if your equipment was faulty in some way, or if your instructors did not give you the correct instructions.

Road traffic and car accidents in Romania

Road traffic accidents in Romania are much more frequent than in the UK and drivers there have a greater chance of being in a Romania car crash than drivers on the UK’s road network. Romania car crash statistics show that there were 1,818 deaths on Romania’s roads in 2014. This is a rate of 9.1 deaths per 100,000 people. This rate is 237% higher than in the UK.

Driving standards in some parts of Romania can be poor and the UK government warns that holidaymakers should watch out on the roads outside cities or major conurbations. Hazards can include people double parking, sudden breaking and animals walking out in front of a vehicle.

If you have had a car accident abroad, you can make a claim for compensation through the British court system. EU law allows drivers from the UK to claim against an insurance company in Romania through the British courts. Liability in the case will, however, be determined according to Romanian law, as could damages. This means the UK courts could award you the same compensation a driver in Romania would get.

Airline accident and illness claims

Airline accident and illness claims could include circumstances such as bags falling from the overhead storage lockers or being burnt by hot drinks or foods during a bout of turbulence. Under international convention, you could be entitled to make a claim for illness or injury suffered on a flight to or from the UK when the airline was not directly at fault.

If you need to bring such a claim it should be noted that you only have a period of two years in which to bring airline accident claims in Romania.

Do I need to use a local solicitor for my claim?

Whether they are making a claim in the UK or a holiday accident claim abroad, people often think that they need to use a solicitor who is either based close to them or where the incident happened. However, this is a common misconception and is not the case. You can make a claim for a holiday accident in Romania, or elsewhere, using a solicitor who is based in the UK. They will be able to conduct the case remotely and will be able to help you to make a claim.

If you have suffered any injury, illness or been harmed as a result of an accident which was not your fault or which was caused by someone else’s negligent actions, you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Your claim could be made against a car rental provider, holiday company, tour or activity operator or against an individual hotel or restaurant. As soon as you can, talk to the specialist team at Legal Expert to get your claims process started.

Please note: we have included information on the length of time it can take to make some personal injury or accident claims in Romania as they can be different to those in the UK. Remember, making a claim outside the UK can be more complicated to pursue to getting started early gives you the biggest chance of getting your compensation.

No Win No Fee Holiday Accident Claims

Making a claim in the UK or abroad can feel like a difficult, time consuming and even expensive thing to do. For many people, these simple factors can be enough to put them off making a claim and getting the compensation that they deserve. For a lot of people who have already had to face medical bills or other unexpected expenses, the additional costs of using a solicitor and making a claim could be prohibitive. This is where the no win, no fee contract comes in. They remove any financial risks in making a claim. You will not have to make any payments up front and you also won’t have to pay any fees or expenses during your claim. In fact, you will only have to pay any legal costs if and when your claim is successful and you are awarded compensation. If you aren’t the solicitor will not charge you and if you are, the solicitors’ fees can be deducted from the final settlement, meaning you never have to reach into your pocket.

Popular city break destinations, ski resorts and beach resorts in Romania

Cities

  • Bucharest
  • Timisoara
  • Sibiu
  • Cluj
  • Brasov

Ski resorts

  • Poiana Braşov
  • Straja
  • Transalpina Ski Resort
  • Predeal
  • Şuior

Beach resorts

  • Costinesti
  • Eforie
  • Jupiter
  • Mamaia
  • Mangalia

Start your claim today

If you are ready to start your compensation claim, or need further information and advice before doing so, contact Legal Expert today. You can talk to our dedicated team about the best way to go about making a claim and about how we can provide you with an expert legal solicitor to give you the best chance of getting the maximum amount of compensation possible.

Our team is on hand seven days per week between 9 am and 9 pm to take your call and to help you start your compensation claim. You can call us on 0800 073 8804 or send us an email to info@legalexpert.co.uk. You can also use the contact form on this page.

Useful links

British Embassy in Romania
British Embassy Bucharest
Strada Jules Michelet 24,
București 010463,
Romania
Tel: +40 21 201 7200
Opening hours: 8am – 5pm Monday to Thursday, 8am – 4pm Friday