Accidents and injuries can happen when you least expect it, including while you’re on vacation. Whether you’re someone who meticulously plans out every detail of their trip, or you are a little more spontaneous, you should always plan for your safety. Here’s how you can plan ahead and protect yourself when you leave the country (or province):
1. Buy travel insurance.
This is probably the single most important thing you can do to plan for your vacation. Getting injured in a foreign country can be costly. When you factor in the cost of hospital services, ambulance rides, health care professionals, prescriptions, and more, your medical bills could be thousands of dollars. Alberta Health Care typically won’t cover your foreign healthcare costs, and will not pay to get you back home. You will usually have to pay out of pocket for these expenses unless you have travel insurance, and the time to purchase is before you leave. Talk to your insurance broker or agency. They can help you choose a plan that’s right for you.
2. Locate the Canadian Embassy where you are travelling to.
While you’re selecting a hotel and things to do on your vacation, you should also find out where the embassy is located in the country you’re travelling to. Before arriving at your destination, you should know the address and phone number of the Canadian Embassy in that country. In an emergency, the embassy can help you navigate the country’s medical services, customs, and laws. You can find a complete list of Canadian Embassies (or Consulates) by country here.
3. Leave a copy of your important documents with someone you trust.
Have you ever misplaced your keys or sunglasses? It happens to the best of us. But the last thing you want to do is lose your passport or travel documents while you’re on vacation. It’s always a good idea to leave photocopies of your important documents, along with the locations you will be at, with someone you trust at home. This way, someone always knows where you are, and can provide vital information should you get injured or lose your documents.
Pro Tip: While on your trip, it’s best to keep your passport in a locked safe and carry photocopies of your documents if you need identification while you’re sightseeing.
4. Ask your insurance broker about SEF 44 Family Protection Coverage.
If you plan to drive on your next trip out of the province, it’s a good idea to talk to your insurance broker about SEF 44 Family Protection Coverage. SEF 44 covers you as well as your family members if you’re injured in an accident while travelling. Without adequate coverage, your ability to receive compensation for your injuries could be limited. To give you an idea, the coverage for most Albertans is 1 to 2 million dollars. But this is a lot higher than other places around the world. In some US states, for example, mandatory liability coverage is as low as $25,000 USD. This may seem like a lot of money, but it often doesn’t even come close to covering expenses after a serious accident. Talk to your broker to find out what type of coverage is right for you.
Injured in an accident while travelling?
It won’t cost you anything to speak with one of our personal injury lawyers to find out if you are eligible to file a claim. If you are still travelling, we can arrange a telephone or video call with you. Give us a call or fill out our contact form online, and a member of our team will reach out to you.
Worried you won’t be able to afford an Alberta personal injury lawyer? At Litco Law, we don’t get paid until you get paid – meaning you don’t pay us anything until (and unless) you have received your settlement from the claim.
