What to do When Injured on Vacation

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Not that the holidays are over, and the Super Bowl is right around the corner it can only mean one thing – the dark days of winter are. For many people, this means planning a holiday in the sun, maybe to an amazing beach or just to some place where you don’t need to wear an extra 10 pounds of clothing just to go outside.

However, one thing that should be on every travelers’ mind is what to do when injured on vacation. While everyone would think of this, the reality is that even experienced travelers often fail to get the appropriate insurance when heading away from home. This can lead to further complications, both financial and emotional, and with that in mind here are some tips on how to handle such a situation.

Before we get started, you should always consider getting a travel insurance policy. Most are inexpensive, and the additional coverage will help to fill the gaps in your current insurance. In addition, many health insurance policies don’t travel across state lines, so having the extra protection could help you and your family in the long run.

Emergency Contacts

Again, this is something that everyone should have in order before they travel but most people don’t.  The good news is that this is an easy fix as all you need to do is put together a list of emergency contacts and then keep it on your phone – by the way, having a laminated list of the contacts in your wallet isn’t a bad idea either.

Along with having a list of emergency contacts, you should also think about sharing your itinerary with your contact. This way they know where you are supposed to be and when you are supposed to be there.

Another thing you might want to do is have a master list of secondary contacts. This will include your insurance company, doctor, and maybe even a lawyer – especially one who specializes in personal injury law.  

According to Tony Seaton from the Law Offices of Seaton & Bates, PLLC, “most people just really want to get back to the life they had before their injuries and getting there is a process that requires access to proper medical care and financial resources that can help support you on that path”  As such, having the contact details of a lawyer you trust nearby will help to ensure if there is an emergency that you are getting the support you need.

Contingency Planning

Granted, there is only so much you can do but when it comes to an extended holiday, you should have a plan in place for what to do if something untoward happens.  This could be anything as mundane as losing your wallet – it happens – to having extra medicine with you in case you come down with a stomach bug or something along those lines.

In addition, you might want to bring along extra medicine if there is something critical that you need to manage.  This is especially true when traveling overseas as you might not have a good idea where to get refills, etc.

Beyond this, you may want to consider what medical facilities are available where you are traveling and even how you would get treatment if you were in a remote area.  While it might seem that this sort of preplanning is unnecessary, but you do need to consider that you are traveling to a location where you don’t know the doctors or other available services. As such it is better to know how to get the healthcare you need than to wait until the last minute.

Getting Home

We might take this for granted but in some cases getting home after being injured on vacation can be a massive logistical exercise.  This could be due to several factors, including your ability to travel and what medical support you need during your journey.

Unfortunately, this is often overlooked when people are trying to deal with an injury away from home. While this makes sense, at some point you will want to map out how you can get back to your friends and family.  

Depending on the nature of your injury, it might also mean that you won’t be in a condition to make the plans yourself. As such, a best practice is that you assign one of your contacts as the responsible party in case you are incapacitated.  Doing so will probably mean setting up a limited power of attorney and making sure your living will is in order.

It doesn’t matter if you are traveling for work or for pleasure, you will want to follow these best practices to make sure that you will be in looked after when faced with a medical emergency on vacation.