|
We all
want to have a perfect holiday, but sometimes we need to come home
to a compensation solicitor.
Whilst you may have holiday insurance that can cover you for flight
changes or problems with your hotel, a basic insurance package is
unlikely to cover you for accidents that may happen whilst you’re
on holiday, or for the distress that you feel when your holiday
goes wrong.
There are several ways that your holiday can be disrupted, and many
of these form a legitimate reason for seeking compensation. If you
have booked a package holiday, then the normal route is to seek
compensation from the tour operator, who has a duty to ensure that
everything on your holiday is as it was represented to you in the
brochure or sales material, and that the rooms, food and service
are of a good quality. Some of the most common reasons for claiming
compensation are:
- Poor
standard of accommodation
- Hotel
half-built on arrival
- Advertised amenities
unavailable
- No
transfer from airport as promised
There
are three main reasons that you may choose to visit a compensation
solicitor after your holiday. Firstly, you can claim for financial
loss, caused by your having to arrange your own transport, or pay
the hotel direct in order to move rooms. Secondly, you could claim
for any personal injury that you sustained during the holiday and
finally, you can claim for loss of enjoyment caused by the problems
you encountered. Remember though, that a claim is only likely to be
successful if you can prove that a third party was at fault. If you
cannot do this, your solicitor will probably advise you not to go
ahead with your claim.
If you come across problems during your holiday, and you think you
may be able to claim compensation, then it is important that you
keep an accurate record of what has happened. Contact the tour
operator as soon as you encounter difficulties and keep a record of
when you speak to them and the result of the conversation. If
appropriate, take pictures to illustrate your problem, which you
will be able to show the tour operator and your solicitor when you
return home, and write a letter of complaint to the tour operator
as soon as you get back, setting out the problems you had in clear
detail. Keep a copy of this letter for your files, or to show your
compensation solicitor, so that you have all the evidence you need
if you choose to pursue a claim.
Click here to
return to the articles page.
|
