Watch out for these holiday hazards

When you’re planning a holiday, it can be easy to assume that you’ll spend the whole time lying on the beach or exploring a new city. Unfortunately, holidays don’t always go as planned, and there are a number of hazards that you’ll need to watch out for to ensure that your holiday goes smoothly.

Here are some common holiday hazards:

Food poisoning

Food poisoning is terrible when you’re in the comfort of your own home, but it’s even worse when you’re on holiday and sick when you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself with your family and friends. Unfortunately, we’re continually hearing about holidaymakers getting food poisoning while staying on cruise ships or at a resort or hotel This can happen if the food is not prepared hygienically, or the food is undercooked, and buffets are a common place for this as food is typically sitting out for a few hours.

For this reason, many lawyers and tour operators see a number of holiday food poisoning claims. If your hotel or resort has failed to comply with international food safety standards, and you end up sick, you can hold them liable.

Lost baggage

This is common if you’re connecting through another airport and have a short connection time, and there are few things worse than arriving at your holiday destination, only to find that your baggage didn’t arrive with you. For this reason, be sure to carry a few things in your carryon, like a spare change of clothes, pyjamas, and anything else you would need to be comfortable if your baggage doesn’t show.

Typically, you’ll find that your baggage will be delivered within a day or two, but baggage does go missing all around the world every single day. That’s why it’s a good idea to never check anything valuable or even with sentimental value, and remember that the airline has a responsibility to do everything in their power to get your baggage back to you.

Broken bones

Broken bones are another common holiday hazard. If you’re walking around on cobblestones, rushing on slippery tiles next to a pool, or trying out a new activity, you could be at risk of breaking a bone. While this doesn’t mean you should always be worried about breaking something, it’s a good idea to purchase travel insurance. If you do break a bone overseas and need medical care, you’ll be completely responsible for your medical care and may end up paying massive medical bills if you haven’t covered yourself with travel insurance. Along with the medical bills, you may find that you can’t fly home on the date you’ve booked, as you may be in too much pain, and your cast will probably need to be cut so that you can take the flight. Travel insurance will typically cover your extra stay, and another flight so you can still get home to your loved ones without being out of pocket.