Travel Injury Lawyer

A travel injury attorney is a personal injury attorney who specializes in handling injuries caused by negligence either by a travel agency, a resort, a hotel, or any other party. This attorney helps travel injury victims receive the compensation they need and deserve.

A travel injury attorney handles a wide range of accidents or injuries. Common examples include accidents or injuries on cruise ships, airplanes, helicopters, boats, vehicles, etc. However, it is also important to note that such an attorney does not only focus on injuries sustained on a traveling vessel. Rather, they can handle a wide range of travel-related accidents.

Here are some essential steps to follow if you or your loved one has been injured while traveling.

Seek Medical Attention

Whether you have been injured within the country or abroad, it is important that you seek immediate medical attention. This is not the time to act tough; ensure you get checked by a professional doctor.

The doctor will examine your injuries and determine their severity. If you suffer severe injuries, the doctor might begin treatment right away or refer you to a specialist.

Remember to obtain a copy of the medical report; you may need it to prove your injuries.

Obtain an Accident Report

Your medical report is not the same as the accident report. The former is usually provided by a doctor or medical professional when you visit a medical facility after the injury. On the other hand, the latter derives from the people responsible for the vessel or facility where the injury occurred. So, for example, if you got injured on a cruise ship, the cruise line should be able to write you a report.

The report should contain specific details about the incident, such as when and where it occurred, the victim’s names, the type of injuries sustained, etc. Keep in mind that companies usually have certain procedures for filing these reports. For this reason, you can request to speak with the manager to determine the exact process you should follow to obtain the report.

Be Careful of What You Say

While filling out an accident report, it is important that you know what to say and what not. As a general rule, do not accept liability for the injury, even if you feel you are partly responsible. Also, this is not the time to provide opinions and speculations. Instead, you should stick to facts only.

Finally, after creating the report, you should request a copy. This copy could come in handy if you decide to take legal action against the other party.

Gather Witness Information

Having witnesses can add more value to your case. Get their name and phone number if possible. Even better, if they recorded the incident, you may request a copy of the footage for future reference. The same applies if they took pictures of the incident.

Contact a Travel Injury Lawyer

Next, get in touch with an attorney as soon as possible and explain everything that happened. The attorney will review your case and offer the legal advice and representation you need to proceed with such a case.

The answer to this question will depend on the specifics of your case. For example, the exact location of the injury could help identify the liable party. For example, the cruise line could be held responsible if the injury occurred on a cruise ship. Also, remember that cruise ships, hotels, and resorts usually have other businesses that work with them. Some of these businesses might also be liable for your injuries.

The same applies to airport accidents. The management of the airport might be responsible for your injuries. Other times, a cafe, construction company, or even a cleaning company might be liable.

This further explains why it is important to hire a travel injury attorney when you get injured while traveling. The attorney will review the unique circumstances of your case and determine liability based on facts, not assumptions. That is what you need to win.

Other than seeking medical attention, most people do not know what to do next if they get injured while traveling, especially abroad. But just because you got injured in a foreign territory does not mean you do not have rights.

Such an attorney can help review your case and determine how the law applies to your situation. And once they have that figured out, they can help you pursue the compensation you need and deserve.

Filing a claim or lawsuit for injuries sustained while traveling requires a lot of paperwork. And that is not the only problem; knowing how to fill out the paperwork is an even greater challenge. An experienced attorney can help navigate these complex processes, allowing you to focus on recovering from your injuries.

If you have a valid claim, the lawyer can help determine the best legal pathway to take in your pursuit of compensation. Remember that such accidents could pose a multi-jurisdictional challenge to travelers.

For instance, let’s say you got injured while on a cruise ship. In that case, where do you file your lawsuit?

Cruise ships travel mostly on international waters. Therefore, where do you file the case even if you have a valid claim and substantial evidence? Do you file it in your home state, in a foreign country, or at the location of the travel company? These are some of the complex questions an experienced attorney can help answer and actually proceed to take legal action on your behalf.

Businesses usually have some form of insurance to protect them from these lawsuits. Therefore, chances are you can sue the insurance provider of the party responsible for your injuries. 

The kind of damages you may recover depends on various factors. In most cases, travel injury victims can recover economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages seek compensation for the financial losses you incurred due to the injury sustained. For example, these damages might include your medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning potential, cost of hiring a caregiver, cost of upgrading your living environment to accommodate your new medical condition, etc.

Non-economic damages seek compensation for non-monetary losses you incurred due to the injury. Examples include mental distress, loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, and inconvenience.

There is no standard settlement amount for these kinds of cases. The exact settlement amount you will be entitled to will depend on several factors. For example, the steps you take after the accident will decide the settlement amount you may be able to recover.

Suppose you did not seek medical attention after the injury. If so, the other party could claim that you faked the injury, thus no need for compensation. And if you cannot prove your injuries, the court will not believe you suffered damages. This is because injuries and damages go hand in hand.

That said, an experienced attorney can help determine the settlement amount you can recover. Avoid attorneys who promise to help you recover a fixed amount as compensation for your injuries before reviewing the specifics of your case. Instead, you need an attorney who will conduct thorough investigations to prove that the other party was responsible for your injuries.

You will likely have many options when looking for a travel injury lawyer. A quick search on the internet will reveal many law firms and attorneys claiming to offer the best legal representation for victims of travel injuries. But not every firm or attorney you come across can provide the legal representation you need to fight for your rights.

For this reason, it’s important to know some essential tips for finding the right attorney to fight for you, as discussed below.

Are They Experienced Enough to Handle Your Case?

You should find out how long the attorney or firm has been fighting for the rights of individuals who have been injured due to someone else’s negligence. As a general rule, opt for an attorney who has been practicing for many years. For example, Morgan and Morgan has been fighting for injury victims since 1988.

Do They Have the Resources to Fight for You?

When pursuing compensation for injuries, you need an attorney with powerful resources to fight. This is because travel companies make huge sums of money and can afford the best attorneys to represent them. The last thing you want is an attorney who cannot even conduct a thorough investigation to prove your case.

When you get injured while traveling, you will likely need an attorney who can travel to the accident scene and collect crucial evidence to prove your case. Such arrangements require a lot of resources. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that not every law firm or attorney you come across can provide these resources.

Do They Have a Proven Track Record of Winning Cases?

Do not hire a lawyer who lacks a solid record of winning these cases. This is because there is so much at stake when filing a travel injury claim. If you do not hire the right attorney, you could lose a valid case and the opportunity to get the compensation you need to feel whole again after the injury. For this reason, you should only settle for lawyers who know what they are doing and can prove that they have previously handled cases of this magnitude.

At Morgan and Morgan, we have helped our clients recover over $13 billion as compensation for various injuries since 1988. With such a solid history of winning big cases, you can count on our attorneys to fight for you.

Another great benefit of hiring an attorney with a proven history of winning huge settlements is that they do not get excited by any settlement offer. Rather, they will always fight for the actual value of your case and nothing less.

Can They Fight for You in Court?

Most personal injury cases settle out of court. For this reason, many attorneys lack courtroom experience, which is always a major red flag when looking for the right lawyer to represent you. This is because some insurance companies do not cooperate throughout the negotiation process. Others offer lowball settlements and refuse to see beyond their selfishness. When that happens, you need a lawyer who can fight for you in court.

If the out-of-court negotiations fail, you should not have to start looking for a new lawyer. Rather, you must get everything right the very first time.

That is where we come in as Morgan and Morgan, the largest personal injury law firm in the United States. Ready to have your case reviewed by one of our experienced travel injury lawyers? Fill out our free case evaluation form today.