Its human nature to want to get away from our “home base” every once in a while. This usually involves short trips out of state or maybe even across the country, but some individuals are lucky enough to have the time and resources to enjoy a vacation in a foreign country.

These trips can be very exciting, but unfortunately, they do present a few dangers. One of these dangers is the chance that a tourist will experience an accident while overseas, so any traveler should take steps to be prepared for this potentiality.  They are as follows:

• Speak to Healthcare Provider – It’s essential, before heading to a foreign country, for a person to check with their healthcare insurance provider to see if their medical care will be covered in case of an accident in a foreign country. If not, it’s important to ask the insurer if they provide additional travelers’ insurance.

• Talk to Travel Agent – In some cases, travel agents actually provide insurance for those going out of the country. This is a great way for a person to get discounted rates since they’re already paying their agent to book tickets, set up hotels and everything else that goes into a vacation of this magnitude.

• Hire a Good Driver – While it may seem silly, especially if a family wants to rent a car,it’s best to check blogs like The Biggest Problem With Car Leasing Tips, And How You Can Fix It
  and for sure hire a driver when it’s necessary to travel anywhere while overseas. As it turns out, one-third of all non-violence related deaths overseas happen due to car accidents. Removing this danger is a great way to stay safe.

• Ask for Police Report – It’s best to file a police report whenever an accident occurs overseas. While not all countries’ law enforcement departments will be as efficient as others, many will still file police reports for accidents; and this is especially the case if another person’s negligence led to the accident.

Getting a copy of the police report will also help a person avoid having to later track down records  through the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).

• Keep Receipts – Keeping receipts for any costs related to an overseas injury is absolutely essential. While holding onto receipts and medical bills is essential in America, it’s even more so in foreign countries since it won’t be as simple as heading down the street and asking for another copy once someone returns to America.

• Contact Insurer – An injured individual should contact their insurer, whether it’s through their own healthcare insurance or the travel agencies, as soon as they possibly can.It’s essential to report any injuries so that the appropriate measures can be taken to get medical bills covered and ensure that appropriate treatment is continued if necessary.

Additionally, it’ll give an injured person the chance to find out if their assigned treatment was up to par with what they would’ve received in America.

• Contact Attorney – An individual should also contact an attorney once they’re back in the states; in fact, if possible, it wouldn’t hurt to do this while still overseas.

This is especially essential if an injury was due to another person’s, government’s, company’s or organization’s negligence.

In these instances, a good attorney may be able to help an individual recover all of their lost costs, including the need to change travel plans, and even pain and suffering payments. This attorney will, however, need to have experience dealing with foreign law.

Foreign vacations can expose a person to an all new culture and set of experiences, but it only takes one injury to completely ruin this adventure. Luckily, there are ways to properly prepare for this possibility, and vacationers who abide by the aforementioned rules will be much more likely to not have lasting negative effects if injured overseas.

An injury overseas can ruin a vacation, but with a little vigilance and preparation, an individual can minimize the damage it causes on the rest of their life.

Jamica Bell is a freelance writer and avid traveler. She contributes this article as a way to help travelers prepare for their travels abroad. During her research, she found http://www.doyleraizner.com/international-personal-injury to be very helpful and informative, especially for individuals who have been injured in an accident on foreign soil.