Germany Accident Claims Guide – How Much Compensation Can I Claim For a Personal Injury In Germany?

By Joanne Jeffries. Last Updated November 22nd 2021. Welcome to this guide on making Germany accident claims.

Germany accident claims holiday

Germany holiday accident

On this page, you will find a detailed guide to making a compensation claim following an accident on holiday in Germany. It contains the kind of information and advice that you need to begin learning about a) why you may be able to make a claim, and b) how to get started with your claim.

However, we understand that even though we have tried, we may not have provided all of the information you need in your own case. If this is so, and you have additional questions, please give one of the Accident Claims UK team a call on 0800 073 8801. They will be happy to go over your No Win No Fee claim with you, discuss your legal options, and offer you some free legal advice on how to get your claim started.

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A Guide To Compensation Claims For A Holiday Injury Or Illness In Germany

Within this guide, you are going to learn why you might have a valid claim, who might be liable to pay compensation, and how your personal injury solicitor will process your claim for you. Around 2 million UK residents make a trip to Germany every year, and the UK Government states that travel to Germany is “trouble-free”. But of course, people can and do fall ill or become injured while they are visiting the country. If the harm they have suffered was caused by a third party in some way, a reason to make a holiday accident claim could exist. It is for these people that we have published this guide.

The first part of this guide is mainly related to making sure you get the help you need while you are in Germany. This includes how to contact the emergency services, and also the situation regarding healthcare for UK citizens visiting German hospitals. We also cover a number of steps that you can take, which will help you prepare for when you return to the UK and begin making your compensation claim. You will also find a table that explains the different time limits for making a claim, depending on the circumstances of your trip.

The next part of this guide will cover many of the most common reasons for people to make a compensation claim for a holiday accident or illness. There are sections covering:

  • Accidents and illnesses that occur on a package holiday.
  • Accidents that happened to residents of a hotel.
  • Illnesses caused by waterborne or foodborne bacteria, such as food poisoning.
  • Slip, trip or fall accidents while on holiday.
  • Swimming pool accidents.
  • Skiing and winter sports accidents.
  • Road traffic accidents overseas.

The final part of this guide begins with an explanation of why it is a good idea not to use an overseas solicitor to process your claim. It then moves on to give an overview of the national accident and injury claims services offered by Accident Claims UK. This is a very simply yet effective way to have an expert team of solicitors handle your claim for you. One thing that you are not going to find on this page, is some form of automated personal injury claims calculator. These kinds of tools are inaccurate at best.

To get an estimate of how much you may be able to claim, please speak to one of our team on the number at the end of this guide. Once they know a little about your circumstances, they will tell you how much they think you could be able to claim.

What Are The Most Visited Germany Cities?

German cities are very popular city break destinations for UK visitors. No matter where you are injured, in whichever city, you should be able to claim for an injury in Germany.

  • Berlin
  • Munich
  • Hamburg
  • Frankfurt
  • Cologne
  • Dusseldorf
  • Dresden
  • Stuttgart
  • Nuremberg
  • Leipzig

What To Do If You Suffer An Injury Or Illness On Holiday Abroad

If you have suffered an illness or injury while overseas, you need to make sure you get the help you need. We go over this kind of information in the next two sections of this guide. In this section, we are going to cover some of the things you can do, that will begin to help you prepare for making a claim when you get back to the UK. You can take steps such as:

  • If applicable (such as being injured due to criminal activity, or in a car accident), ensure that the police attend the scene.
  • If there were any bystanders who saw what happened, ask them for their contact details, so your solicitor will be able to get in contact with them if needed.
  • If you can do so safely, use the camera on your phone to take photographs of the scene of the accident, and anything else you think might be useful.
  • Visit the hospital to have your injuries looked at. It is important that you do this so that your injuries are recorded. So, even if they appear to be minor and not require medical treatment, still visit the hospital.
  • Start making a list of all the losses that you incur due to the accident, injury or illness. So that your solicitor can help you claim for these at a later stage.

Once you have returned home to the UK, call Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page. One of our team will be able to help you to get your claim started right away. You may also like to check our general guide to holiday accident claims, here:

A guide to making a claim for a package holiday accident

How Do You Call The Emergency Services In Germany?

If become ill, or are injured in Germany, you need to know how to get the help that you need, when you need it. There is some good news here. The German Government has set up a single contact number (112) for all emergency services in the country. This follows the unofficial European standard. When you call 112 (you can use a phone with a UK SIM), you will speak to an English-speaking operator. The operator will ask you about your situation, and depending upon your circumstances, dispatch the right emergency services. You can also speak to the German emergency services directly, on these numbers:

  • 110 – for the police.
  • 116 117 – medical assistance.
  • (0711) 70 10 70 – air/sea rescue.

You may also be able to get some help for certain types of problems (such as medical repatriation), from the UK Government. We have added contact details to help with this at the bottom of this guide. You can also visit this link, that has more information about the German emergency services.

Information about the German emergency services

How And Where To Get Medical Care In Germany

If you have become ill, or have been injured in an accident in Germany, you will need medical treatment. As a UK citizen, you are entitled to emergency medical care to the same level as a German person, as long as you have a valid Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) on you. If you don’t have an GHIC, or you need medical care that isn’t covered by GHIC, you will need to have a health or travel insurance policy that can cover the medical fees. If you don’t have insurance, then you are going to have to pay for your medical treatment yourself. You could be able to claim this cost pack later as part of your compensation claim.

It is recommended that all UK citizens travelling to destinations in Europe, carry an EHIC. You can get more information about applying for an EHIC at the link below:

How to apply for a Global Health Insurance Card

Personal Injury Claim Time Limits In Germany

When you decide to start your claim, you need to do so within the applicable time limit. The personal injury claims time limit is driven by the circumstances of your claim, and how you booked your trip. These are outlined in the table below:

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Circumstances of Claim Time Limit
On a package holiday in Germany, or travelling to or from Germany on transport provided as part of the package. 3-years.
On privately booked transport and at privately booked hotels. Up to 30 years (time limits can vary – Get Time Limit Advice for more information)
On a flight into or out of Germany. 2-years.

Package Holiday Illness Or Injury Claims

If you become ill or are injured in an accident on a package holiday, then a personal injury lawyer may be able to claim compensation from the travel vendor. Every package holiday company in the UK is legally obligated to provide holidaymakers with a safe holiday. This includes transport, accommodation and activities that were included in the package.

So, if you are injured in transit, at your hotel, or while on an included excursion, the travel firm would be liable. However, you must report the incident to the travel company when it happens. As long as you do this, Accident Claims UK could be able to help you claim compensation when you return to the UK. Speak to one of our team on the number at the end of this page, to learn how we can help. Provided your tour company in the UK, with details of your illness or injury.

Accidents In Your Hotel In Germany

Many of the compensation claims for an accident in Germany, are made due to people being injured at a hotel they are a guest of. A hotel can present a whole range of different hazards, which could cause a guest to come to harm, such as:

  • Wet floors in and around the pool area.
  • Buffet food gone bad, due to being left out for too long.
  • Dangerous electrical fittings such as lamps, light switches and plug sockets.
  • Damaged or faulty equipment in the hotel gym.
  • Road traffic accidents while travelling on the hotel airport shuttle bus.

There really are many ways that you could be injured at a hotel while on holiday. No matter how you came to harm, Accident Claims UK should be able to help you claim. Speak to one of our team on the number at the end of this guide, and they can help you to get your claim underway.

Can I Claim Compensation For A Waterborne Illness Or Food Poisoning?

When UK holidaymakers head overseas, waterborne and foodborne illnesses such as food poisoning are always a risk. The combination of unfamiliar foods and a lack of resistance to local bacteria and germs, is a recipe for stomach problems. Food can go bad very easily, for reasons such as:

  • Food is not stored cold enough.
  • Food is not cooked through.
  • Unhygienic kitchen staff prepared the food.
  • Food has been left sitting for too long.
  • Reheated food has been served.

There are many ways that food can go bad, and Accident Claims UK can help you to claim if food poisoning ruins your holiday. We can also help you if you were injured in an accident at a restaurant, such as slipping on spilt food, or being scalded by hot liquids. You can check our guide to holiday restaurant claims at this link:

A guide to making a claim for a restaurant accident on holiday

Slips, Trips, And Falls

Slips, trips and falls are one of the most common of all reasons for people to make a personal injury claim for a holiday accident. From the moment you step out of your door to go on holiday, until you return home, you could fall foul of this very common type of accident. Typical slip, trip and fall hazards you could encounter while on holiday, include:

  • Wet floors in your hotel, close to the pool area.
  • Spilt food or drink in the hotel restaurant.
  • Damaged floor coverings in your hotel room, such as ripped carpets and cracked tiles.
  • Damaged paving slabs in the hotel garden, or in the carpark.
  • Cleaning staff leaving obstructions in hotel hallways.
  • Tripping on the steps whilst getting on to or off of a plane, train, etc.

As you can see, there are many potential hazards that can cause a slip, trip or fall while you are on holiday, and Accident Claims UK can help you to claim for any of them. Speak to one of our team on the number at the bottom of the page to find out how.

Swimming Pool Accidents

A swimming pool is a high-risk area for holidaymakers from the UK, especially if there is insufficient supervision, with no lifeguard on duty. Typical hazards that you could encounter in and around a swimming pool are:

  • Waterborne diseases causing an illness.
  • Cracked pool tiles causing cuts and lacerations.
  • Insufficient signage, causing people to dive into the shallow end.
  • No lifeguard on duty, leading to drowning accidents.
  • Damaged pool equipment leading to accidents.

As can be seen, there are many hazards in and around a swimming pool. If you were to be injured by one of these while you are on holiday, Accident Claims UK should be able to help you get the compensation you are eligible for. Speak to one of our team on the number at the end of the page to learn how. You can read a case study, covering a successful swimming pool claim, at this link:

A swimming pool claim case study

Skiing And Winter Sports Accident Claims In Germany

The German Alps are a very popular skiing and winter sports destination. Surprisingly, Germany has the highest number of skiers each year, of all countries in Europe, with almost 15 million people taking part in the sport. Even though a great effort is made to keep skiers safe, skiing accidents still happen from time to time.

If you are injured in a skiing accident on holiday, you will need to check that skiing or any other sport you have been injured while involved in, is not excluded from your holiday insurance. If it is, you may need to pay for any required medical care yourself. Accident Claims UK can help you to claim this cost back. Speak to one of our team on the number at the end of the page to learn how.

Car Accidents Claims In Germany

Germany holiday accident statistics

The graph above, shows that Germany has a slight problem with drunk driving. If you were to be injured by a German drunk driver, you should be able to claim car accident compensation. In fact, any time you are involved in a car accident abroad, as long as another driver was at fault, you should be able to make a claim.

Accident Claims UK is experienced in helping our clients make European road accident claims. We are sure that we can do the same for your car accident in Germany. Speak to one of our team on the number at the end of the page to proceed with a claim for a road traffic accident in Germany today.

Can I Make My Claim With A Solicitor Based In Britain?

We recommend that you not use an overseas solicitor to process your holiday accident claim. Dealing with a legal team in the UK will be much simpler, and they will have the same chance of the claim being successful as a local solicitor would. Speak to one of the Accident Claims UK team today so we can get your holiday accident claim started for you.

No Win No Fee Holiday Accident And Illness Claims

Accident Claims UK can process your holiday accident claim under a No Win No Fee. There would be no fee for us to start on your claim, and no fee while we process your claim for you. If we don’t manage to win you any compensation, there is no fee at all. When we do win you a settlement, we take our fee straight out of the money received for you, then give you the rest.

How Our Team Could Help You

Accident Claims UK has a long track record of winning significant compensation settlements, across the full range of accident and injury claim types. We always aim to win the maximum level of compensation possible for you, and do everything we can to give you the best chance of winning your claim. Our new claims process is very simple; it follows the three steps in the table below:

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Get in touch by email, phone or web chat. Let our team go over your claim and evaluate it. Move on to having your claim processed right away.

Start Your Claim Today

Have you been injured or become ill while on holiday? Do you need to make an overseas holiday compensation claim? If you do, speak to one of the Accident Claims UK team on 0800 073 8801 today. They will go over your claim with you, and then offer you a simple and effective way to have your claim processed, starting right away.

More Useful Contact Details

British Embassy Berlin
Wilhelmstraße 70/71
10117 Berlin
Germany
Tel: 49 (0) 30 20457 0
Web: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-berlin
Opening hours: 9am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday.

British Consulate General Düsseldorf
Willi-Becker-Allee 10
40227 Düsseldorf
Germany
Tel: +49 211 94480
Web: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-dusseldorf
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

British Consulate General Munich
Möhlstraße 5
81675 München
Germany
Tel: +49 89 211090
Web: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-munich
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

At the link below, you will find NHS information on healthcare in Germany:

NHS information for Germany

At the link below, you will find the Association of British Travel Agents website:

Association of British Travel Agents

FAQs On Germany Accident Claims

What would make up my compensation payout for Germany Accident Claims?

When you make a personal injury claim, this compensation that you would usually receive could be made up of general damages and special damages. What this means is explained below:

Special damages relate to compensation for financial costs. You could claim compensation for costs such as medical expenses, travel expenses and even care costs because of your injuries. You may also have lost out on income because you’ve needed time off work while recovering from your injuries. Special damages payouts could include compensation for loss of earnings, and any of these expenses.

General damages relate to compensation for non-financial costs. This would include the suffering and pain you’ve experienced, as well as any psychological harm caused by your injuries. In order to evidence your suffering and pain, you’d need to have an independent medical reports. You would go and see an independent expert during your claim, and they would write the report. Courts and lawyers could use this to come to a value for your pain and suffering and loss of amenity. Loss of amenity is the impact of an injury on the victim’s ability to enjoy life as they did without the injury.

 

What evidence do I need for Germany accident claims?

If you are considering making a claim for an accident in Germany, the evidence you would need would depend on the accident you were involved in and your injuries. We have already mentioned that you would need an independent medical report to evidence your injuries. What she would also need would be some evidence of the accident that occurred. You could gather witness details, so they could provide a witness statement. As well as this, you could take photographs of the accident scene and your injury. Useful evidence could also include proof of any costs you’ve sustained due to the accident or your injury. You could also keep pay slips to evidence loss of earnings, for example.

Thank you for reading this guide on Germany accident claims.