Vacation should be a time to relax without worries. Sometimes the unexpected happens and a child getting injured during the vacation is something that happens. It becomes difficult because you are away from the place you know the specialists to handle a similar situation. As you leave for vacation, take precautions that might help you if a child is injured at your holiday destination.
Before the trip
Pack a first aid kit containing items like bandages, antiseptic, and antibiotics. Add medications that your child takes in case something happens. Put the medicine to relieve pain, diarrhea, motion sickness, and allergies into the kit. Pack the medications in original packaging with accompanying documentation. Find out refrigeration options if you will travel to a hot or tropical location. Additional precautions include:
- Get travel insurance: Insurance is crucial because it will reimburse the money spent at a hospital for treatment if a child gets an injury that requires attention at a health care facility and possible hospitalization.
- Discuss travel and remote consultation with a pediatrician: Inform your child′s doctor that you will travel and ask the person to allow your consultation over the phone if something happens during the vacation.
- Research on healthcare facilities at your destination: Gather information about nearest hospitals offering ER and urgent care.
- Find out about nearby pharmacies: Save the contact information of the facilities on your phone. Your health insurance company can provide data about health facilities in an area and if they will accept your cover.
Actions to take after your child’s injury on vacation
Start by notifying someone in charge of the establishment or the police if the cause of the injury is a traffic accident. Document the accident with photos or videos and witness accounts. Take the contact information of the witnesses. However, this may have to come last, or you leave someone to handle evidence collection if the injury is severe.
- Perform first aid, like cleaning a cut, bandaging, or giving the appropriate medication you carried. Call your child’s pediatrician for information on the steps to take if you are uncertain or for information when you know the best way to treat the injury. A conversation with a pediatrician will help you lookout for signs that a layperson might not notice without professional guidance.
- Organize transportation of the child if the injury requires medical assistance after first aid. If the injuries are not life threatening, go to the urgent care near me in your insurance network or call your insurance company if you are unsure which hospitals are covered. A representative will direct you to a doctor or specialist that the company recognizes in the area. For life-threatening injuries, call emergency services to come and stabilize the child and evacuate to a hospital. You can pay for the treatment with your money and pursue an insurance reimbursement later. Ensure that you keep all the receipts.
- Buy medication at a licensed pharmacy and not any outlet at a store. There are counterfeit drugs in circulation, so the safest place to buy is a licensed pharmacy. You can inquire from an embassy or consulate about licensed stores if you are not sure.
- Check the active ingredients before purchase and inform the pharmacist of any allergies that your child may have after taking certain medications. If possible, discuss the prescription with your pediatrician to determine if it suits your child.
- Contact your insurance company when you settle the medical consultation or hospitalization procedures and the child is recovering. Share the injury details, as the information will be helpful when you return to your home and make a claim.
- Contact a personal injury lawyer and share the medical report. An attorney will determine if you have a claim after reading a medical report and going through the circumstances around the injury. You will also get counsel and assistance to file a lawsuit in the appropriate jurisdiction, pursuing the at-fault party and suppress games by insurance companies to settle a lower amount than the legal entitlement.
Contacting a personal injury attorney when your child is injured on vacation
It’s recommended that you contact a personal injury lawyer soon after dealing with the emergency. Established firms like Glotzer & Leib personal injury lawyers will, after your narration about the cause of injury, explain the process of filing a claim with your health insurance provider.
It is essential to inform personal injury lawyers quickly after the accidents. They promptly become negotiators or consultants when dealing with an insurance company to prevent pressurization into accepting a settlement. Signing a settlement without professional legal advice can make you receive a lower than ideal compensation or a right to pursue litigation in the coming days.
The role of a personal injury lawyer becomes more important if your child was injured because of negligence by somebody such as staff at the place you are staying during vacation. The attorney has the skills to investigate, gather evidence and use it to determine the appropriate level of compensation.
Skilled attorneys like those at Glotzer & Leib personal injury lawyers have a deeper understanding of the process to deal with insurance companies and involved parties. Their skills bring a better settlement than when you negotiate alone. Many claims are settled outside court, but it can proceed to trial if the party responsible does not own and agree to a fair settlement. A legal team represents you in court and fights for fair compensation.
A child can be injured during a vacation. Take the precaution of carrying first aid items, relieving medications, insurance card, pediatrician, and personal injury lawyer contacts before departure.
