Holiday accident compensation calculator
Injured or made ill on a package holiday, in a hotel, or on an excursion abroad? Estimate what your claim could be worth in compensation (UK £) or settlement (US $), using published Judicial College bracket figures.
Holiday Accident Compensation Calculator
Estimate your total payout range in under a minute
Last updated · By Mustafa Bilgic · Figures reviewed against the Judicial College Guidelines
What a holiday accident claim is made of
Being injured abroad sounds daunting, but for the millions who travel on package holidays the law makes claiming far simpler than people expect. A claim is built from the injury value (general damages) plus your financial losses (special damages), and — crucially — package claims are usually brought at home in England & Wales, not in a foreign court.
The Package Travel Regulations advantage
Under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, the UK tour operator is responsible for the proper performance of every part of the package it sold — hotel, transfers and excursions included. If you are injured or made ill because that performance failed (a dangerous hotel staircase, a contaminated buffet, an unsafe excursion), you can claim against the operator here, in English, with the injury valued by the Judicial College Guidelines. Independent, self-assembled trips do not get this protection and may require a claim in the country where the accident happened.
General and special damages — plus lost enjoyment
General damages value the injury itself (US: typical settlement ranges). Special damages cover lost earnings, treatment, care and travel. Holiday claims add a distinctive head of loss: diminution in the value of the holiday — compensation for the ruined or curtailed trip you paid for.
Holiday accident compensation amounts by injury
Indicative general-damages ranges for injuries commonly seen on holiday, as valued for package claims in England & Wales. Special damages and lost-enjoyment sums are added on top. US figures are typical settlement ranges and depend heavily on which law applies.
| Injury type | UK — Minor (£) | UK — Moderate (£) | UK — Severe (£) | US — typical ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broken bone / fracture | 2,800 – 12,000 | 12,000 – 45,000 | 45,000 – 135,000 | 12k – 150k |
| Back injury | 2,500 – 12,500 | 12,500 – 38,800 | 38,800 – 160,000 | 15k – 175k |
| Head / brain | 2,690 – 14,400 | 45,000 – 219,000 | 219,000 – 493,000 | 25k – 500k+ |
| Knee / leg | 2,800 – 14,500 | 14,500 – 47,800 | 47,800 – 159,000 | 15k – 180k |
| General soft tissue | 1,500 – 5,000 | 5,000 – 12,500 | 12,500 – 38,000 | 3k – 40k |
| Facial scarring | 2,000 – 9,300 | 9,300 – 30,000 | 30,000 – 97,000 | 8k – 100k |
* UK whiplash minor/moderate up to 2 years is the fixed statutory tariff (£275–£4,830). All other figures are bracket-style estimates and rounded. Last updated .
Common holiday accident scenarios
- Slips and falls on wet hotel floors, around pools, and on poorly maintained steps.
- Food poisoning and gastric illness from inadequate hygiene, often at all-inclusive resorts.
- Excursion and activity injuries on operator-arranged trips.
- Transfer and transport accidents forming part of the package.
Related: public liability claims, slip and fall claims, and how compensation is calculated.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim compensation for an accident on holiday?
Frequently, yes — especially on a package holiday. Under the UK Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, the tour operator is responsible for the proper performance of the package, so you can usually claim against them in England & Wales for injury or illness caused by a hotel hazard, contaminated food, or an unsafe excursion. Independent (non-package) trips are more complex and may require a claim in the country where the accident happened.
How much compensation will I get for a holiday accident?
The injury is valued the same way as a domestic claim — from the Judicial College Guidelines — for package claims brought in England & Wales. A moderate injury can be worth several thousand pounds, plus your financial losses and a sum for lost holiday enjoyment. Holiday illness (gastric) claims are valued on severity and duration. In the US, travel-injury values depend heavily on where the accident happened and which law applies.
Who do I claim against for a package holiday injury?
Usually the tour operator that sold you the package, under the Package Travel Regulations — not the foreign hotel directly. This is a major advantage: you bring the claim in England & Wales, in English, against a UK-based company and its insurer, rather than litigating abroad. For flights, separate international conventions (such as the Montreal Convention) can apply.
Can I claim for holiday food poisoning or illness?
Yes, where it results from a failure in the package — for example, poor food hygiene at an all-inclusive hotel. You will need to prove the cause and the impact: report it to the rep and hotel at the time, see a doctor, keep evidence, and note how long symptoms lasted. Genuine, well-evidenced gastric-illness claims succeed; speculative ones do not, and bringing a false claim is fraud.
How long do I have to claim for a holiday accident?
For a package claim brought in England & Wales the general limit is three years from the date of injury. But other deadlines can apply depending on the route — claims under international conventions or in a foreign court may have much shorter limits (sometimes two years), so get advice quickly. See claim time limits.
Related calculators & guides
Public liability
Injuries in public places and who is responsible for keeping them safe.
Public liability →How payouts are calculated
General vs special damages and the maths behind every estimate.
Read the guide →