Tunisia Accident Claims Guide – How To Claim Compensation For A Personal Injury Claim In Tunisia? – How Much Can I Claim?

Holiday accident claims Tunisia

Tunisia is the most northern country in Africa which means it’s one of the shortest flight times from the UK to the hot African climate making it a popular destination for British holiday makers. It has some lovely hotels and resorts and excellent sightseeing opportunities but, while most people enjoy an incident free holiday, some people end up with an illness or injury and end up having to make a Tunisia holiday accident claim when they return to the UK.

If you would like Legal Expert to begin a claim on your behalf then please call us today on 0800 073 8804 we’ll start with a free, no-obligation, consultation to get your side of events. If you’d like to know more then please keep reading and we’ll explain the types of accident that we can help with, how to get treatment for an accident in Tunisia and what time limits there are for beginning your claim.

Select A Section

• A guide to making holiday illness or accident claims in Tunisia
• What should you do if you were injured or became sick whilst in Tunisia?
• How to contact the emergency services in Tunisia
• Medical care and healthcare costs in Tunisia
• Tunisian personal injury claim time limits
• Tunisian package holiday sickness and accident claims
• Claims for sickness or injury we can handle for Tunisian holidays
• Hotel accidents claims in Tunisia
• Tunisian sickness and food poisoning claims
• Injuries caused by slips and falls in Tunisia
• Road traffic accidents and car crash claims in Tunisia
• Does using a UK based solicitor affect making a holiday accident claim?
• No win no fee holiday accident solicitors
• Speak to Legal Expert today
• Useful links

A Guide To Making Holiday Illness Or Accident Claims In Tunisia

Tunisia, or the Republic of Tunisia to give it it’s full title, is located at the very top of Africa and just a short flight from southern Europe. With over 8 million tourists visiting Tunisia from around the world it is once again becoming a popular destination for British tourists looking for a hot summer holiday without a long-haul flight.

Holiday accident claims in Tunisia are unfortunately required for some holidaymakers who’ve had an injury that was somebody else’s fault (which can happen even in some of the big 5-star hotels). Accidents that can happen in Tunisia include:

• Hotel accidents (food poisoning, swimming pool contamination, slips and falls and gym accidents)
• Road traffic accidents
• Slips, trips and falls (which although often minor accidents can lead to long term problems)
• Sickness and food poisoning (in restaurants, cafes and bars)

This guide covers what to do in the event of any type of accident in Tunisia, how to get treatment (as there is no free healthcare), emergency contact numbers and how to make a claim when you return to the UK if you believe your accident was caused by somebody else’s negligence.

What Should You Do If You Were Injured Or Became Sick Whilst In Tunisia?

It is worth noting that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have some special guidance around travelling in Tunisia which you should be aware of before making your journey which can be found here.

In short there are areas that you should avoid including: The Chaambai Mountains National Park, The militarised zone near El Borma and Dehiba and the town of Ben Guerdane. There are other areas that you should only travel to when it is essential (listed in the link above).

That aside, if you’re involved in an accident in Tunisia then there are a number of things you can do if you think that you’re likely to make a compensation claim when you return. We have another guide which covers holiday accident claims in more detail but in summary, to help with your claim you should:

• Report your accident to your tour operator (especially if you booked a package holiday).
• Report your accident to staff if it happened in public building like a hotel, shop or museum – this will help as the log of the accident can be used as evidence.
• Photograph the scene of the accident and capture what you believe is the cause of the accident (i.e. if an uneven pavement caused you to trip then try to capture the defect in the photograph).
• Photograph any damage to your property or yourself (medical records can be gathered by us if you were treated)
• Ask for the contact details of any witnesses and, if possible, ask them to write a witness statement describing what they saw happen.
• If a crime has been committed then you should report the incident to the police (emergency contact details are in the next section of this guide).

All of the above adds weight to your claim and can be part of the package of evidence that your personal injury solicitor will put together as part of your holiday accident claim in Tunisia if you decide to make one.

It goes without saying that all of the above should happen after you have ensured the safety of everyone involved and arranged treatment where necessary (we cover the cost of healthcare later in this document).

How To Contact The Emergency Services In Tunisia

Unlike the UK, Tunisia operates a different phone number for each of its emergency services. Each of the different numbers are:

• Police: 197
• Ambulance: 190
• Fire Department: 198

There’s also, in very urgent cases such as a fatality or serious assault on a British citizen, the British Embassy who can support you, 24-hours a day, when required. Their contact details are at the end of this guide.

We cover medical care in the next section but there is no free care in Tunisia so ensure you contact your travel insurer in the event you are referred to a hospital.

Medical Care And Healthcare Costs In Tunisia

Healthcare in Tunisia is not free like it is in the UK and the quality of care can be very low in some parts of the country. It is essential that you take out travel insurance before travelling to Tunisia and that if you have a Tunisia holiday accident claim that requires hospitalisation or medical care that you call your insurer at the earliest opportunity as they may only cover care at certain hospitals.

The main hospital in Tunis, the capital city, is:

Charles Nicolle Hospital
Boulevard du 9 Avril
1938 Bab Saadoun
1007
Tunis
+216 71 578 254

Even if you’re in Tunis you should contact your insurer to make sure they’ll cover care costs at the Charles Nicolle hospital and have your insurance documents with you to show to staff in the case of treatment. Only pay for treatment yourself if your insurer tells you to and ensure you get receipts with details of the treatment received.

Tunisian Personal Injury Claim Time Limits

As with the UK and the rest of the world, holiday accident claims in Tunisia are time limited and these limits must be adhered to otherwise the claim will automatically be rejected.

The table below shows the type of personal injury claim you may be making and how long, following the accident, you have to submit your request for compensation:

All time limits may vary.

If it’s not clear which category your accident falls under then please make contact with us and one of our specialist’s personal injury solicitors can advise you.

Tunisian Package Holiday Sickness and Accident Claims

In recent years package holiday providers have re-commenced holidays to the main resorts in Tunisia and if you buy a package holiday then you are protected by regulations set out by the British government.

A package holiday is defined as one where you purchase multiple parts of your holiday from the same operator which could be your flights plus hotel, your cruise and excursions or your hotel and excursions.

Some of the major package holiday providers that arrange holidays to Tunisia : are:

• Thomas Cook: +44 1733 224 808
• Tui: +44 203 451 2585
• First Choice: +44 203 451 2720

We can help with claims for package holiday’s using these or any other package holiday provider if you want to file a Tunisia holiday illness claim.

Claims For Sickness Or Injury We Can Handle For Tunisian Holidays

If you want to make a Tunisian holiday accident claim then we can help, from our UK based offices, with any type of claim. Some of the more common claims we deal with include: Food poisoning; slips, trips and falls; hotel injuries and illnesses and road traffic accidents in Tunisia. The next part of this guide covers what to do in the event of each type of accident and any additional steps you may need to take to help with your claim when you return.

Hotel Accidents Claims In Tunisia

Holiday accident claims in Tunisia often happen within the hotel and can occur in the finest 5-star hotels as often as the more basic hotels. To make a personal injury claim then we need to be able to provide evidence that shows the accident was down to the hotel staff or management who have failed in their duty of care towards guests. The types of personal injuries in Tunisian hotels that we can deal with include:

• Swimming pool contamination illnesses: If a pool isn’t cleaned as part of a regular maintenance programme then water-borne bugs can cause stomach upsets that can ruin a holiday. If you’ve been treated by a doctor who, following test, diagnosed this type of illness then you could make a claim.
• Gym injuries: If you’ve been injured while using gym equipment which was damaged or faulty then the hotel could be liable for your injury. In cases like these try to get photographic evidence of the defect and witness statements. Similarly, if you were allowed to use the gym without training or induction and became injured then the hotel could be to blame.
• Food poisoning: We’ll cover this more in the next section but a hotel is held to account by the same food standards as an external restaurant, café or bar so if a doctor has diagnosed you as suffering from food poisoning in a Tunisian hotel then we can help you to claim for compensation.
• Slips, trips and falls: There is another section regarding the types of injuries following a trip or fall. If the fall was because of hotel negligence and you’ve suffered pain, damage to property or financial loss then a compensation claim could be needed.

If you’ve sustained any type of injury or illness while staying in a hotel in Tunisia and are unsure whether you’ve got a case, then why not contact us and we’ll discuss the details with you?

Tunisian Sickness And Food Poisoning Claims

Food poisoning occurs when food is left out in the open, not prepared properly, not stored properly, undercooked or not reheated properly and can lead to illnesses such as Ecoli,Typhoid, Salmonella and Dysentery.

While some illnesses caused by food poisoning clear themselves up after a day or two it can stick around for weeks (after you’ve returned home) or, if your seriously ill, it can lead to a delay in you making your flight back to the UK. All of these things can ruin your holiday and possibly cause financial loss for extra flights and unpaid time off from work in which case you can claim compensation from the establishment that caused the food poisoning.

If you become ill you should contact your travel insurer, explain the symptoms and then attend whichever medical facility they refer you to. Once you return to the UK, we can obtain the medical records from the hospital which can then be used to substantiate your claim.

Injuries Caused By Slips And Falls In Tunisia

When on holiday a slip, trip or fall can happen in just about any scenario and if it’s because you weren’t paying attention, were distracted or were messing around then it has to be treated as a mistake on your part but if there is somebody else to blame (a business owner, a member of staff or a local authority for instance) then compensation could be claimed. A slip or fall can often cause injuries that don’t present themselves fully initially so the advice regarding reporting the accident is still important even if in the immediate aftermath of the accident you don’t feel any pain.

Often a fall can seem like something minor but can lead to some very serious and sometimes life-changing injuries and, if that was because somebody else did something wrong, it is only right that you may want to start a holiday accident claim in Tunisia to cover the costs of treatment, aftercare, the pain & suffering and the potential loss of earnings you may incur.

Common injuries caused by a slip, trip or fall include:

• Spinal cord injuries: These can be very serious and life-changing and if you suspect a back injury then you shouldn’t move or be moved until assessed by a medical professional.
• Soft tissue damage: This is one of the injuries, mentioned earlier, that may not present with any symptoms immediately. Things like a sprained wrist, ankle or ligament damage can all become worse up to a couple of days after the accident.
• Broken bones: Some simple fractures of the leg or arm can be remedied fairly quickly but more complex breaks like a broken collarbone, broken knee cap or even broken elbow can require serious surgery and sometimes you may not fully get full function back following a fall.
• Head injuries: head injuries like swelling, bruising, bleeding or signs of concussion should be assessed immediately by a doctor as the symptoms you can see can be minor in comparison to what’s happened inside the head.

The areas that may be deemed to be the responsibility of the business owner, member of staff or local authority include: uneven path, road or kerb stones; wet floors with no warning signs; unorganised items littered across public areas such as luggage, cleaning materials or laundry; and poorly lit areas such as corridors. In any of these cases the slip or fall could be the fault of somebody else and therefore a holiday accident claim could be made against them.

Road Traffic Accidents And Car Crash Claims In Tunisia

There’s no point in beating around the bush here, the number of car crashes in Tunisia, including fatal collisions, is very high when compared to the UK. Reasons, according to some reports are that drink-driving levels are high, there’s poor public transport meaning more people have to drive and seatbelts are not used as often as they should be.

If you’re involved in a road traffic accident in Tunisia and have received treatment for you and any others injured in your party, then there are some steps you can take to make claiming for compensation easier when you return to the UK:

• Take the contact details, insurance details and licence plate number of the other vehicle involved.
• Take photographs of the accident to show how the vehicles ended up following the collision and try, where possible to include the other car’s number plate in the photographic evidence.
• Ask any witnesses for their contact details and ask them to write down a statement of what they saw. Independent witnesses help to substantiate your case and CCTV, if available can help as well.
• If your hire car is fitted with a dash cam recording system, then ask the hire company to email you a copy of the footage.
• If a crime has been committed, such as drink-driving or dangerous driving then contact the police.
• In the event of a very serious injury or fatality then either the police or you should contact the British Embassy for support with repatriation to the UK.

Any evidence you can secure while at the scene can make a claim for compensation so much easier when you return to the UK. Photographic and video evidence gives a real insight into the cause of the car crash.

Does Using A UK Based Solicitor Affect Making A Holiday Accident Claim?

We are often asked if we’re able to make claims in foreign countries if we’re not based there and the answer is always yes. We have a team of UK based personal injury solicitors who can help with holiday accident claims in Tunisia and we find that clients appreciate being able to speak with an English speaking solicitor at convenient times of the day.

If you tried to make a claim with a Tunisian based solicitor then you may find there is a language barrier, the time difference and there may be complex legal procedures in Tunisia that you don’t understand.

Our team are based in UK offices, available when you need them and can deal with any complexities so that you don’t have to, all on a no win no fee basis.

No Win No Fee Holiday Accident Solicitors

When beginning a holiday Tunisian accident claim there is always a moment of worry about how much it’s all going to cost. If you have a solicitor dealing with a complex case, across international borders and time zones surely the costs are going to be huge? Well, if you use a traditional type of solicitor then yes, the fees can be massive, and you may be liable for them even if you lose your case.

Legal Expert are different, we are a no win, no fee solicitors meaning that we only get paid if we secure compensation for you. We don’t charge by the hour, instead we work on a conditional fee agreement (CFA) meaning that when we begin the process with you then we’ll agree a percentage fee with you, which can’t be changed by us, and if we win the case, we take that percentage out of the compensation.

We believe this is the fairest, completely risk-free way of making a claim and when you are successful then there are no shocks or surprises when the bill is announced. We offer no win no fee CFAs on all cases we take on

Biggest Cities in Tunisia

Here is a list, for your information, of the largest cities by population in Tunisia. We can deal with any Tunisia holiday accident claim in all of these cities (as well as any other city not listed):

• Tunis (Population 640,000)
• Sfax (270,000)
• Sousse (220,000)
• Ettadhamen (140,000)
• Kairouan (139,000)
• Bizerte (137,000)
• Gabes (130,000)
• Aryanah (114,000)
• El Mourouj (104,000)
• Gafsa (95,000)

Most Popular Hotels in Tunisia

• La Badira
• Radisson Blu Resort & Thalasso
• The Russelior Hotel and Spa
• Sentido Le Sultan
• Marhaba Salem
• Iberostar Mehari Djerba

Speak To Legal Expert Today

Legal Expert are ready to speak with you right now so, if after reading this Tunisia holiday compensation claims guide, you’re ready to begin your claim then you can start your free and no-obligation consultation by contacting us in one of the following ways:

• Telephone: Call us free on 0800 073 8804
• Live Chat: Our live chat feature is available 7 days a week from any page on our website
• Online Claim: Fill in your details using our simple online claim form
• Email: Send the team an email using info@legalexpert.co.uk

Whichever way you choose to get in touch we’ll treat your claim in confidence and professionally so please begin your claim right away.

Useful links

British Embassy Tunis
Rue Du Lac Windermere
Les Berges du Lac
Tunis
Tunis
1053
Tunisia
Tel: +216 71 108 700
Web: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-madrid
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 8am to 4.30pm, Friday 8am to 1pm

NHS Fit for Travel Guide – a guide to travelling and healthcare in Tunisia by the NHS

Edited by Melissa.