What to Do if Injured While Vacationing in the U.S. Virgin Islands

 Posted on May 16, 2019 in Personal Injury

If you or a loved one is injured while on vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands, here are four steps you should take: (1) get medical care, (2) document the incident, (3) determine who was at fault, and (4) obtain local legal assistance before accepting any settlement from an insurance company or other responsible parties.

1. Obtain Medical Treatment and Diagnosis of Your Injuries

First, seek medical attention and determine the severity of your injuries. If your injuries are severe enough that recovery will cost thousands of dollars in medical expenses and lost wages, perhaps leaving you with permanent dysfunction or disfigurement, you will definitely want to explore options for compensation.

2. Document the Personal Injury Incident

Once the immediate medical emergency has been handled, take the time to document the incident. Obtain the names and contact information of everyone involved, including eyewitnesses and medical professionals. Take photographs of the area where the accident happened, any equipment or vehicles involved, and your injuries. Write down everything you can remember about the incident, including dates and times. These details can be easily lost in the aftermath of an emergency but will be crucial to proving your right to compensation.

3. Determine Who Was at Fault

If your injuries are severe enough to merit substantial compensation, the next question you need to ask is, who was at fault in the accident that caused your injuries? For example, if you trip, fall, and break your leg on a perfectly safe staircase at a resort, you probably cannot claim that the resort owner was at fault for your injury. On the other hand, if the staircase was poorly maintained, and the resort should have known about the hazard and repaired it in a timely manner, then you can probably claim that your fall was the resort’s fault.

Similarly, if you are not paying attention and step out in front of a moving car that is otherwise obeying local traffic laws, you probably cannot claim that the driver was at fault for any injuries you sustain. Other the other hand, if you are hit by a moped or boat operator who was violating a local speed regulation and had too much to drink, you can probably claim that the motor vehicle collision was the driver’s fault.

Hotels, restaurants, watersports businesses, motor vehicle operators, and other businesses and individuals you encounter in the USVI should all carry liability insurance, which is designed to compensate a claimant who is injured as a result of the insurance holder’s carelessness, recklessness, or unlawful activity. Thus, if you are injured on someone else’s property or by their motor vehicle, and you can prove that your injuries were mostly or entirely were the result of the other party’s negligence or unlawful behavior, you should qualify for compensation from the insurance provider and/or the at-fault party.

4. Consult a Knowledgeable Personal Injury Lawyer

If you believe you have a valid claim for damages against a negligent party, that party or their insurance provider may offer you a quick settlement to close out your claim. It is rarely in your best interests to accept a quick settlement. It is, however, in the best interests of the negligent party to make you a lowball offer and try to convince you that if you do not accept their offer now, you may get nothing later. Instead, consult an experienced local personal injury attorney who is in a better position to gauge the extent of the other party’s negligence and the full extent of your current and future damages.

Contact a U.S. Virgin Islands Tourist Injury Attorney

If you have been injured as the result of someone else’s negligence or law-breaking while on vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas, consult our experienced team of St. Croix personal injury lawyers to learn how you can file a claim for compensation. Our firm has helped recover compensation in numerous personal injury cases in the U.S. Virgin Islands over the past 50 years. Contact Colianni & Colianni, LLC at 340-719-1766 for free consultation.