Press Release
03 September 2010
Passengers injured in a horrific holiday crash could be left high and dry as the company they were travelling with was under-insured.
Ben Townsend, a Personal Injury specialist at Stewarts Law, is currently fighting a British holiday firm for compensation after a horrific crash in Morocco left one holiday maker paralysed and five others seriously injured.
Now he is warning other travellers to beware they do not fall into the same trap.
In this particular case, Ben says his clients may not be able to obtain the money they need for care and medical expenses as the company, which has denied responsibility for the accident, has only limited insurance.
"This has left my clients in a situation which so many holiday makers could find themselves in," he said.
"People are constantly warned about the importance of personal holiday insurance but no-one highlights the dangers of travelling with an under-insured company.
"The personal holiday or travel insurance that people take out is itself inadequate in that it only covers medical expenses abroad, repatriation and a nominal amount for injuries (if you fall into one of a few narrow categories). It will not pay full compensation for injuries and their effects sustained through the fault of the travel company. Travellers rely in that situation on the travel company being properly insured.
"Of course no-one wants to think of the worst happening, but it can, and it pays to do some homework on the company you are travelling with."
The accident happened during a package tour to Morocco in April last year. The group was travelling in a converted truck when the driver allegedly lost control and the truck skidded off the road, finally stopping when it overturned.
The company claims it was an accident caused by an oily substance on the road which caused the truck to skid, and that no-one was to blame.
"It was a terrifying situation for everyone involved," said Ben.
"What should have been a dream adventure holiday instead turned into a nightmare which left one person paralysed and others with serious orthopaedic and spinal injuries.
"The consequences of these injuries are enormous. The care needed, especially for someone with paralysis, is extensive and costly. It alters not just the victims' lives but their families' too and adjustments have to be made."
"In this particular case, the insurance held by the travel company will not cover our clients' claims so we have to look every option available to us to help those injured get the compensation they deserve and need.
"Checking a company's cover when booking your holiday can at least help you make an informed decision on your holiday insurance," he said.
"Always read the terms and conditions and decide if you need to re-think your own personal insurance or travel with another company.
"After-care can run into millions of pounds for a lifetime; correct insurance can give peace of mind.
"For the majority of travellers it will be something they never need call on but the worst thing anyone can think is 'it won't happen to me'."
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