Today transport and infrastructure is more advanced and complex than it has ever been. We have access to many different modes of transportation such as airplanes, cruises, busses, and cars. Moreover, the options within each mode have also become abundant. You can rely on travel and tour operators to find the perfect package customized to your needs. As a result, vacationing locally and internationally has become more accessible and affordable than before. Traveling exposes us to a new environment that can be very refreshing, but at the same time it has the potential of being a challenge to us. Risky environments such as forests, beaches, mountains or a place with less stringent vehicle and product safety standards can expose you to the risk of injury. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2011 and 2013, 27% of all deaths of Americans abroad occurred in Mexico, a popular vacation destination, where more than 200 Americans died in road traffic crashes. A high number of motorbike injury cases have been reported in the Caribbean islands, another popular destination for American travelers.
What type of an injury can you encounter and how?
Travel accidents can range from having a hot drink spilled on you by an air steward to getting hurt by a sliding glass door on a cruise ship. Health and safety standards often tend to vary from state to state and country to country. Despite this, tour operators are supposed to run risk assessments to make sure that the hotels they advertise, comply with the highest safety standards of that area. Many times due to negligence, people end up staying at hotels that have bug-infested beds or experience injuries due to unsafe areas, such as unmarked wet floors.
Keeping you safe is your travel and tour operator’s duty by law. For example, the Federal Aviation Act requires air carriers to exercise high standard of care however, if airplane turbulence ends up hurting your head, you have the right to file a claim against the carrier. Any injury to you or your family members while traveling should be taken seriously as it may have legal consequences for you and the travel operator that you choose or the hotel that you stayed at.
What to do if you experience a travel related injury?
If you were hurt within your state, in another state or in another country, it is crucial to discuss your situation with a travel injury attorney because it is possible to get compensation for your injury that can help you pay your medical bills, recover income lost for missing work, cover the cost of your trip and/or pay for emergency flight tickets. Every state and country’s law is different and an experienced travel injury attorney at AMA Law can find the best place for you to file a lawsuit after comparing and contrasting the different laws on liability, damages and injuries caused while travelling. Travel injury attorneys at AMA Law will conduct an in depth assessment of the injury you encountered while travelling and will help you find the best legal solution in regards to your situation.