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Holiday Accident Claims In Sicily – How Much Compensation Can I Claim For A Personal Injury?

On this page, you will find a guide to the legal process of making holiday accident claims in Sicily. It will help you to learn how your solicitor will handle your claim, and many of the main ways that holiday claims come about. However, if you don’t have time to read all of this guide, you can skip the parts that don’t pertain to your own situation. Alternatively, you can speak to one of the Legal Expert team on 0800 073 8804, and they will explain the process of making a holiday accident to you, and arrange for us to start on your claim right away.

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A Guide To Sicily Holiday Accident Claims

Holiday accident claims Sicily

Holiday accident claims Sicily

Within this guide, we explain everything about making a holiday accident claim, from many of the common ways that claims come about, an introduction to our claims service, and finally, a number of useful links. Below, you will find information such as:

  • A number of steps that should be taken, that will make sure that you give yourself the best chance possible of winning your Sicily holiday accident claim.
  • A list of all of the main emergency contact numbers in Sicily, so that you can quickly and easily get the help you need in an emergency.
  • Details of how UK citizens can access the Italian health service while they are on holiday in Sicily, to get emergency medical treatment.
  • A table that shows the different time limits that a solicitor will need to make a personal injury claim within, for a client that has been injured in Sicily.
  • An explanation of the slightly different legal process that needs to be followed, if you have been injured while on a package holiday in Sicily.
  • An overview of the different types of holiday accident claims that Legal Expert can help you to claim compensation for.
  • Information on hotel accidents, how they happen, and how you may be able to claim compensation for your injuries.
  • Information about food-poisoning and other illnesses that can be transmitted by food, and how you may be able to claim for them if contracted while on holiday in Sicily.
  • Information regarding injuries caused by slip, trip and fall accidents while you are overseas, and how to claim for them.
  • Information about beach, hiking, cycling and other adventure activities, and how to claim for injuries sustained in an accident caused by them.
  • Details of road traffic safety in Sicily, and how if you are involved in a road traffic accident while on holiday, you could be able to claim for your injuries.
  • An introduction to the national claims service that Legal Expert offers to all residents of the UK. This is a simple, effective and risk-free way to make a holiday accident claim.
  • A number of useful links, that can provide you with further information regarding travel to Sicily, and compensation claims for accidents in Sicily.

If you have additional questions once you have finished reading this guide, please do give Legal Expert a call on the number at the bottom of this page. One of our team will be happy to get you the answers you need, and help you through our new claims process.

What Steps Should I Take If Injured Or Sick In Sicily?

One of the best pieces of accident abroad claims advice we can give, is to follow these simple steps below, so that you have the best chance of winning your holiday accident compensation claim. Both while you are still in Sicily and when you have flown home to the UK.

  • Actions to take while still in Sicily:
    • Make sure that you visit a proper hospital or clinic, to have your injuries treated.
    • If it is appropriate, for example, you have been in a car crash in Sicily, ensure that the local police are aware that the accident took place.
    • If you are on a package holiday, you must let your UK travel vendor know that you have been injured in an accident.
    • If you may need to pay for some of your medical treatment in Sicily, warn your travel or medical insurance firm that you may need to make a claim.
    • If there were witnesses to your accident, get their contact details, as you may need their testimony at some stage.
    • Take photographs, or record video of the caused of your accident, and how it occurred.
    • If you are seriously injured and may need assistance in being repatriated to the UK, you or a representative should get in contact with the closest British Consulate of British Embassy.
  • Actions to take when you are back in the UK:
    • List all of the losses that your accident has caused, both financial and otherwise.
    • Inform your travel or medical firm that you are home, and that no more overseas payments need to be made if you have been using your insurance to pay for treatment.
    • Visit your doctor or your local hospital to have your injuries checked over.
    • Contact Legal Expert on the number at the bottom of this page, so we can get your holiday accident claim in motion.

All of these steps do something very important. They leave an official record of your injuries and the accident. This can be vital in proving your case and successfully winning compensation. We have produced a couple of generic holiday accident guides at the link below, that you may also find to be of use:

A guide to holiday claims

A guide to package holiday claims

Emergency Services Covering Sicily

Part of the answer to the question, I have suffered an injury abroad what to do? Is that you need to get help as quickly as possible, from the relevant emergency services. In Sicily, there are several contact numbers that will connect you with separate emergency services, and these are:

  • 112 – will connect you to the military police.
  • 113 – will connect you to the civilian police.
  • 115 – will connect you to the fire service.
  • 116 – will connect you to the emergency roadside assistance service (charges may apply).
  • 118 – will connect you to the ambulance service.

Additionally, if you need assistance after your accident such as arranging for repatriation to the UK, you can contact the British Embassy in Rome on +39 06 4220 0001.

Getting Medical Treatment In Italy

If you have been injured in an accident while on holiday in Sicily, gaining access to the Italian health service as a UK citizen, is pretty straightforward. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme, a reciprocal healthcare agreement between most European countries, covers Italy.

What this means, is that as long as you have a valid EHIC on you when you need medical treatment, you will be given the same level of treatment as if you were a local Italian. You do need to be aware though, that the EHIC only covers emergency treatment and required procedures. It won’t cover extended periods of outpatient treatment, dental care, etc. So, you may find that part of your treatment could fall outside of what EHIC covers, and you would need to pay the cost yourself in this case. However, if you do need to pay some of the medical bills in Sicily, this is something that Legal Expert could help you claim back as part of your compensation claim. Call us on the number at the end of the page to find out how we can help with this.

Personal Injury And Holiday Accident Claim Time Limits In Sicily

In Italy, there is a time limit that holiday accident claims need to be made within, as well as a standard period of extension for claims. These are covered in the table below:

Edit
Claim Type Time-Limit
Package Holiday Accident Claim 3-years from the accident, may vary.
Personal injury Claims 6 years. May vary.

If you are getting close to your time limit for making a claim expiring, then contact Legal Expert and explain your situation on the number at the end of this page. We will then be able to expedite a holiday claim for you.

Sicily Package Holiday Compensation Claims

If you have been injured in an accident on a package holiday, then Legal Expert will pursue the travel company that sold you the holiday for damages. This is due to the fact that as a UK citizen, you are protected by the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992. This is a legal framework that was put in to place to protect consumers from budget travel vendors, who prior to this law, often provided shoddy or even dangerous transport and accommodation as part of their package holidays. This legislation pertains to all large UK package tour operators such as:

  • Thomas Cook
  • Easyjet
  • TUI
  • Virgin Holidays
  • First Choice
  • Sunshine

Legal Expert would process a claim against your UK travel company, even though your accident may have happened overseas. On a privately booked trip, you would claim against, for example, the hotel in Sicily where you were injured. But when you book a package holiday the legal situation is different. The aforementioned legislation provides a route for your solicitor to claim against a UK based legal entity, which is, of course, much simpler. Call Legal Expert on the number at the end of this guide to find out how we can help you with this.

Sicilian Holiday Accident Claims We Can Handle

Sicily accident statistics

Sicily accident statistics

The graph above shows how many thousands of tourists visited each part of Sicily in 2016. As we can see, Sicily is a major tourist destination. Most of the visitors to Sicily from the UK each year, have a great holiday and return home safely. Unfortunately, some do not, and Legal Expert can help victims of holiday accidents in Sicily, to make a compensation claim.

We have covered many of the most common types of claims in the sections below. If you find that none of these sections fit your accident, then call Legal Expert on the number at the end of this page. Explain your injuries and the accident that caused them to one of our team, and they will advise you on what to do next.

Sicily Hotel Injury And Sickness Claims

There are many ways that a resident in a hotel overseas can come to harm. Most people who visit Sicily have a relaxing and safe holiday. However, for a few, the hotel they are staying in is badly run, insufficiently maintained or understaffed, leading to an accident that ruins their holiday. There are two possible routes for making a claim for hotel accidents, and these are:

  • If your hotel was part of a package – if you booked a package holiday including the price of the hotel, from a UK travel vendor, you will claim against the travel firm that sold you the package holiday.
  • If you booked your hotel yourself – if you arranged for your own accommodation while on holiday in Sicily, then you will claim against the hotel operator itself.

Legal Expert can assist with both of these scenarios, and process a holiday accident claim for you. Call us on the number at the end of this guide to find out how.

Claim Compensation For Food Poisoning In Sicily

Legal Expert can act as your holiday sickness claims lawyers, if you have contracted food poisoning or some other food-related illness or disease, while you are on holiday in Sicily. The information below, covers how food goes bad, and also the symptoms of food poisoning.

The Major Symptoms of Food Poisoning

If you are suffering two or more of these symptoms at the same time, it is possible that you have contracted food poisoning. You should seek medical attention immediately

  • Headache
  • Vomiting
  • Nausea
  • Chills
  • Fever
  • Muscles pain
  • Stomach cramps
  • Stomach pain

Food That Can Cause Food Poisoning

  • Food that has been reheated.
  • Food that has been undercooked.
  • Food that has been left on a buffet table long enough to go bad.
  • Food that was prepared in an unhygienic kitchen or kitchen staff with bad hygiene habits.
  • Food being washed in a water source that is unfit for consumption.

If you believe that you have a valid reason to claim for food poisoning that you contracted on holiday in Sicily, call Legal Expert on the number at the end of this guide so that we can get your claim started.

Trip Or Falls Injuries In Sicily

Slips, trips and falls are the most common type of accidents of all. A frequent reason why holidaymakers in Sicily are injured, and subsequently make a compensation claim for an accident abroad. Solicitors such as us here at Legal Expert can help you make such a claim. Slips, trips and falls on holiday, can happen in so many ways, such as:

  • Tripping or stumbling on steps getting on or off of a train, plane or bus.
  • Slipping on dirty or wet floors, in places such as a restaurant, or in the pool area of a hotel.
  • Falling down a staircase due to bad lighting, or a damaged handrail.
  • Tripping on damaged floor coverings such as broken tiles, torn carpets, warped floorboards or broken paving

Legal Expert has plenty of experience in successfully processing claims for slip, trip or fall accidents overseas, and we are sure we can assist you. Call us on the number at the end of this guide to find out how.

Beach And Hiking Accident And Injury Claims

Sicily is a major beach destination, with local beaches such as Calvi Beach, Arinella Beach, and Loto Beach, being some of the best in the world. It also offers a great hiking and cycling experience, along the rural roads at the centre of the island.

Unfortunately, even though the Italian Government has taken measures to improve health and safety in Italy in the last decade, accidents can and do still happen to people on adventure or activity holidays. If you are unfortunate, and are injured on the beach, or while involved in an adventure activity on Sicily, Legal Expert should be able to help you claim for your injuries. Call us on the number at the bottom of the page, and one of our team will explain how we can help you.

Claims For Road Traffic Accidents In Sicily

It is unlikely that UK holidaymakers will be involved in car crashes in Sicily. The statistics pertaining to the number of road accidents in Italy, shows that 175,791 took place in 2016, resulting in 249,175 injuries and 3,283 deaths. As we can see, these are not particularly high values when compared to other parts of the world. Therefore, driving on holiday in Sicily is fairly safe. However, here are a few tips for driving on holiday, to make Sicily even safer:

  • Be aware at all times, that you drive on the right side of the road in Sicily. It isn’t just enough ensuring that you are always on the right side of the road. You need to get used to judging the actions of other road users based on this fact.
  • Be aware that there are likely more people driving under the influence of alcohol in a holiday destination such as Sicily, and be more cautious.
  • Many of the non-major roads in Sicily are rural in nature, treat them as you would a country road in the UK. Look out for animals, and take care on blind bends.

If you are involved in a road traffic accident while on holiday in Sicily, Legal Expert should be able to help you claim compensation for your injuries. Call us on the number at the bottom at this page, and we will explain how we can help you to make road traffic accident claims in Sicily.

Should I Use A Solicitor In Sicily?

There is no benefit at all in using a solicitor in Sicily to make your holiday accident claim. In fact, it would be far more difficult to use an overseas solicitor to make a claim. Additionally, it is unlikely that you would find an Italian solicitor willing to take on your claim under a No Win No Fee deal.

A much better option, is to use the Legal Expert holiday claims service to get you the compensation you are eligible for. Call us on the number at the bottom of this guide to proceed with your claim.

No Win No Fee Sicilian Holiday Accident Compensation Claims

Legal Expert can process holiday accident claims under a No Win No Fee agreement. This means you pay nothing to start your claim, nothing as your claim is processed, and nothing if we fail to win compensation for you. When we do win you compensation, and have received the payment for you, we will take our fee out of the money received, and give you the rest. Call Legal Expert on the number below to start your claim today.

Popular Tourist Destinations In Sicily

  • Taormina
  • Palermo
  • Syracuse
  • Catania
  • Mount Etna
  • Agrigento
  • Trapani
  • Cefalù
  • Messina
  • Lipari
  • Noto
  • Ragusa
  • Erice
  • Stromboli
  • Monreale
  • Marsala
  • Modica
  • San Vito Lo Capo
  • Giardini Naxos
  • Aegadian Islands

Start Your Holiday Accident Claim

Do you believe you have a reason to claim for a holiday accident in Sicily? If you do, then you should call Legal Expert on 0800 073 8804 today. Once one of our team has spent some time learning about your claim, we will offer you some free legal advice on what we believe your next legal move should be.

Useful Links

British Embassy Italy – Rome

Via Venti Settembre

80A

00187

Roma RM

Italy

Tel: +39 06 4220 0001

Web: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-rome

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

The NHS has published information on getting healthcare in Italy at this link:

NHS information on healthcare in Italy

At the link below, you will find a guide to claiming compensation for a restaurant accident:

A guide to claiming compensation for a restaurant accident

At the link below, you will find a guide to claiming compensation for a swimming pool accident:

A guide to claiming compensation for a swimming pool accident