No one wants to think about being injured or ill on a family vacation, but it’s still important to plan for illness or injury. It’s estimated a trip to the emergency room happens on 25 percent of all family vacations. While you can’t predict a sudden illness or accident, there are ways to plan for emergencies.
Before the Trip
The bulk of preparing for an emergency during a vacation happens before you leave for the trip. Here’s what to do before you head out.
- Create an emergency medical kit. This can include any prescription medications you or a family member takes, pain relievers, allergy medication, band-aids, ointment and a thermometer. In addition to medicine, include copies of immunization records, doses of prescription medication, and recent surgery or treatment information.
- Research care facilities at your destination. In addition to looking for the best attractions and hotels, take note of the nearest hospital. Additionally, find out if your doctor is available to take a call in the event of an emergency.
- Purchase travel medical insurance. If your destination is out of the country, other nations’ medical standards might not be the same as in the U.S. and your usual health insurance may not apply. Travel medical insurance can provide peace of mind when traveling through different countries.
During the Trip
While the bulk of preparation takes place before your vacation starts, still be cautious during your travels. During your vacation, keep these procedures in mind:
- Inspect your surroundings. Take a look around your hotel for any obvious dangers, childproof anything you can and make sure windows and doors are locked for safety.
- Stay on alert. An injury can happen anywhere. Hopefully you’ll be relaxing during your vacation, but it’s still important to not let your guard down. If something does happen, you can react quickly and appropriately to get the injured or ill individual the necessary help.
We hope your summer vacations are stress-free and fun times spent with friends and family. However, we know emergencies still happen on vacation. If you have been injured on vacation, the personal injury attorneys at Dennis Hernandez & Associates are here to help you get the compensation you need. Contact us today for a consultation.
