Travel insurance might not cover you after an accident abroad

You expect your travel insurance to be a safety net while away from home. Yet, some holidaymakers discover the hard way that coverage doesn’t always provide the support they need when accidents happen.

Travel insurance can fail you after an accident abroad, even when you have done everything right. Every year Digby Brown sees Scots stuck in these unfair situations. 

Despite taking steps to protect themselves while travelling abroad, Digby Brown sees sick and injured travellers who are faced with the devastating news that their travel insurance would not cover them after their accident abroad.

You expect your insurance to give you peace of mind whilst you are away from home. But what if you have no choice but to take immediate medical help in the country you are visiting and you are left to face extortionate medical bills? Or face delays in treatment and in returning home?

Why travel insurance isn’t always enough when you are injured abroad

In November 2024, a 73-year-old woman from Edinburgh suffered a serious brain injury after a car accident in the USA. She needed life-saving surgery and had to stay in the hospital until she was fit to travel. 

This shouldn’t have been a problem given her travel insurance claimed to cover up to £15m in medical expenses. However the shocked family claimed the insurer wanted the pensioner to return to the UK and would withdraw all support if they refused.

This is the last thing you expect when you travel abroad. But accidents can happen anytime, anywhere - on the road, in hotels, near swimming pools, or even from food poisoning - and turn a much-anticipated holiday into a nightmare.

During a holiday in Thailand in May 2024, an Aberdeenshire man cut his toe, and doctors cautioned it might lead to sepsis (blood poisoning), yet his travel insurer initially refused to fund his return home for treatment.

Only after the man complained and it caught the attention of the media did the insurer agree to cover the cost of the flight home.

Sadly, many travellers find themselves facing these kinds of challenges.

Why seek independent legal advice after an accident abroad?

The law concerning jurisdiction and the assessment of damages in cross-border accident cases is intricate and complicated. Insurers often aim to keep payments low, leaving travellers to fight for the support they were promised.

Many travellers take all the responsible steps, yet all too often, insurers fall short. This leaves people turning to embassies, the UK Foreign Office, the Ombudsman, or even social media, none of which is fair or practical in urgent medical situations.

Insurance companies are large organisations with significant resources and bargaining power. Without independent legal help, it’s difficult for individuals or families to achieve a fair outcome. 

Seeking help from an independent travel solicitor is the only way to ensure a fair fight. 

How Digby Brown supports clients injured abroad

Digby Brown’s Foreign & Travel Team has decades of experience in successfully recovering compensation for clients left in unfair circumstances like these. 

We have assisted clients injured in an accident abroad, as well as those who have suffered injuries while travelling, including on planes and ferries.

Digby Brown has recovered millions of pounds in damages for foreign nationals who were injured whilst in Scotland. We will always provide translation and interpreting services so that language is not a barrier in getting fair compensation. 

We are members of The Pan European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers (PEOPIL) and the American Association for Justice (AAJ) which allows us to access a global network of specialist personal injury lawyers. 

Digby Brown understands how distressing an injury abroad can be. We are here to help. If you have been injured in an accident abroad, we can give you expert legal advice. Because it matters.