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WILL ONE OF THESE PITFALLS MAR YOUR VACATION?
by Contributor
(Jul. 21, 2020) — When you’re planning an adventure abroad, the last thing on your mind is a trip to the emergency room. Whether you’re heading across the country to visit a new state or you’re getting on a plane and flying across the world, it’s a sad fact that most travelers and vacationers end up spending some of their time on the road in the hospital.
Even if you have no intention of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and you’re anticipating sitting by the pool with a cocktail in hand for a week or two, you’re still at risk of hurting yourself and completely derailing your time away. Whether it’s by your own doing or the fault of your hotel or travel provider – click here to speak to a personal injury lawyer in Alexandria – there are some accidents that most travelers constantly fall afoul of.
Here we’ll examine the most common reason travelers end up in the emergency room.
Slips, trips and falls
We all trip over from time to time, even if it’s over our own feet or the dog. But when you’re on holiday, slips, trips and falls can be incredibly serious. These could include slipping by the poolside and breaking your leg, falling down the stairs at a restaurant because the handrail was faulty, or tripping over a pothole in the parking lot and chipping your tooth because of poor lighting. Head injuries, broken bones, sprains and extreme pain – when you trip and fall on holiday it’s a sure-fire way to put the brakes on your vacation fun.
Food poisoning
Trying new meals, exploring new flavors, experiencing world-famous dishes and delving deep into the local culture: experimenting with food at home and overseas is an important part of the vacation experience. Sadly, this curiosity often leads to hours spent in the bathroom and a subsequent visit to the emergency room. Food poisoning occurs when bacteria such as E.coli or salmonella is present in the food we consume. It can also be present on cutlery, in contaminated water used to wash vegetables and fruit, ice, or transferred from dirty hands to the food we touch. Even food you’re familiar with can be poorly prepared and contaminated, so always follow simple food hygiene practices to keep yourself safe.
Road accidents
Whether you’re driving from one end of the country to another or hiring a moped around a hectic city center, sadly road accidents are common for tourists. With unfamiliar road signs, driving on the other side of the road, unclear speed limits and parking mishaps, road accidents can happen to anyone, but they’re particularly prevalent amongst tourists and travelers.
And finally, water-based accidents
Diving into a pool that’s too shallow, cutting their feet on broken tiles, infections from dirty water and swimming whilst intoxicated — water-based accidents are a leading cause of injuries amongst travelers. Whether they’re participating in water sports without adequate equipment or training or not adhering to pool safety rules and putting themselves at risk of drowning, it’s no wonder so many travelers find themselves stuck in the emergency room on vacation.
