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Lanzarote Car Accident Claims Guide – How To Claim Compensation For A Car Crash In Lanzarote?

Lanzarote is one of the most popular of the Canary Islands for British tourists due to its warm climate, beautiful beaches and relatively short flight time.

While a lot of us choose to get around by coaches provided by package holiday providers, a lot more people are now driving themselves using hire cars once they arrive. While it is relatively easy to drive on the island, a car accident in Lanzarote can ruin a holiday and require you to make a personal injury claim.

Legal Expert are specialist accident solicitors who’ve helped many clients over many years to make holiday accident claims for car crashes, traffic accidents, whiplash claims and more besides.

If you’d like to use Legal Expert to begin your claim then please call us on 0800 073 8804 today, our team can assess your chances of success straight away.

If you’d like to know more first then please carry on reading this guide which explain the local policies and laws, what you should do if you’re involved in a Lanzarote car crash, what evidence to gather and how much compensation you may be entitled to.

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A Guide To Car Accident Claims In Lanzarote

Car accident claims Lanzarote

Car accident claims Lanzarote

As part of the Canary Island, Lanzarote is governed by Spain and its road traffic laws. There are a number of local driving policies which we’ll explain shortly.

This guide will also cover what you should do in the event of a car accident in Lanzarote, how you contact the emergency services, how to get medical treatment for any injuries, how Legal Expert can help you to claim and more information to support holiday accident claims.

As with other parts of Spain there are strict time limits for making a personal injury claim in Lanzarote. If you miss these times, then your claim will be rejected automatically. The time limits for making a claim are:

Edit
Type of holiday in Lanzarote Time limit to begin your claim
If the holiday was booked by a UK Tour or package holiday provider 3 years – may very
If the trip was booked by you independently 1 year (but this can vary. Please get in touch with us first to discuss in more detail.)

Because of the relatively short time period for making a claim we recommend that you contact a personal injury lawyer, such as Legal Expert, as soon as you return to the UK, so they have enough time to gather evidence and prepare your claim fully.

When driving in Lanzarote there are a number of legal requirements which are different to the UK:

  • You should ensure you have reflective jackets in case of a car accident in Lanzarote as, if you leave the car following a crash, you must wear one at all times.
  • Your car must be equipped with a warning triangle and, if you’re using a British car rather than hire car, you must have headlamp beam reflectors. You must also use GB stickers or Euro plates.
  • Finally, it is recommended that at all times you have access to your driving license, insurance policy, V5 document and your passport (as proof of ID).

The police can issue on the spot fines if any mandatory item is missing from your car so it’s worth checking with the hire company that everything’s been provided for you.

Emergency Telephone Numbers For Lanzarote

Lanzarote’s emergency services are run in a similar way to the UK where you can call a single number and the operator will connect you to the Police, Ambulance or Fire brigade depending on your emergency.

If you require urgent help you should dial 112 from any mobile or public payphone (it’s free so you won’t require any cash).

For more serious injuries British tourists can seek help from the British Embassy in Gran Canaria (we’ve included all of their contact details at the end of this guide).

The embassy can help you if you’ve had a serious car accident in Lanzarote such as one involving a fatality or severe injury.

How To Get Medical Care In Lanzarote

Following a Lanzarote car accident, you may need to attend a doctor’s surgery or hospital. To be entitled to free healthcare, as a British citizen, you can apply for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) prior to travelling to Lanzarote. It takes around a week to arrive so ensure you apply with plenty of time.

The EHIC card will ensure you get any treatment you need, usually for free, but will not cover private healthcare or the costs of getting you back to the UK if you’re unable to make your scheduled flight.

It is advisable to also take out travel insurance with an element of healthcare so that, if you would prefer private hospital treatment, you have enough cover. You should keep your EHIC card and travel insurance documents with you at all times and show them to staff as soon as you arrive at any medical facility.

This Is What You Need To Do After A Car Accident In Lanzarote

When a car accident in Lanzarote occurs, there are a number of things you should attempt to do to meet with local regulations. In the event of a crash you should:

  • Try to move the car to the side of the road and put the hazard lights on. Try to photograph the scene of the accident prior to moving the car if it is safe to do so.
  • Place a warning triangle at least 30 meters away from the car to warn other drivers but remember to wear your reflective jacket as you can be fined if caught out of the car without one.
  • Contact the emergency services in the event of a serious road traffic accident in Lanzarote – it’s not mandatory for minor accidents but if anybody is injured then you should call 112. Also, if you believe a crime has taken place such as drink driving then the police should be informed.
  • Swap details with the other driver. This can be done using a European Accident Report Form which both parties sign and send to the insurance company. However, you should not let the other driver fill in any details on your section of the form or pre-tick any of the boxes. Only state facts on this form, do not say anything which could be admitting guilt or liability for the accident.

Other than the insurance details the other priority is to stay safe. If there are passengers, it is often safer for them to remain in the vehicle. If this isn’t possible then remember that they should wear a reflective jacket if they leave the car.

Advice For Those Injured In An Accident Abroad

When you’re involved in any type of accident in Lanzarote, including car crashes, there are a number of steps you should take. Some of them centre around resolving the issue but others are in preparation for making a holiday accident compensation claim when you return to the UK. The recommended steps are:

  • Get medical treatment for anybody who needs it. This may be via the emergency services or a trip to the local doctor’s surgery. However treatment is sought, remember to take your EHIC card or travel insurance documents to ensure you don’t end up with a big medical bill.
  • Photograph the scene of the accident and try to capture as much detail as possible. Don’t worry about taking too many photographs, your solicitor will be able to decide which are useful and it’s better to have too many than not enough. Try to capture the root cause of the accident, for instance if you believe the other car was to blame then photograph the fact that their car hit you from behind.
  • Gather witnesses contact details. If there are witnesses then ask them for their name, address, email and phone numbers. If they are willing to do so then ask them to write a brief explanation of what they saw.
  • With regards to road traffic accidents, if there is any dashcam footage from your vehicle or the witness’s vehicles then try to obtain copies of the video files. Your rental company should be able to help but don’t leave until you’ve confirmed you’ve received the email.
  • Report the accident (we’ll cover this fully in another section).

You may not want to spend more of your holiday dealing with the accident but it definitely will help with your compensation claim, should you choose to make one, once you return home.

How To Report A Car Accident In Spain

If you’ve been involved in a road accident while on holiday in Lanzarote, then there a number of people you need to inform. This will actually help with your compensation claim as reports can be obtained by your personal injury solicitor to prove that the accident happened and prove the injuries that were sustained. The people you should inform are:

  • The emergency services in the event of a serious accident where somebody requires treatment.
  • Your car hire firm. They may require a police reference number or copy of your European Accident Report Form to verify who else was involved.
  • If you booked your holiday as part of a package holiday, then you should ensure you let your holiday rep know about the accident.
  • If you have travel insurance, then you should contact your insurer to log the accident with them. They will also advise you where you are covered to get medical treatment from.

You do not need to report the accident to a personal injury lawyer right away, that can wait until you get back to the UK but do keep a record of who you have spoken to and when.

Can I Claim Compensation For Whiplash In An Accident On Holiday?

Whiplash is probably the most popular type of accident claim following any car crash as it likely to affect the driver as well as all passengers who were wearing a seatbelt.

It is caused by a sudden or violent movement of the head which is likely in a car crash as the rest of the body is restrained by the seatbelt.

According to this NHS guide on whiplash, symptoms might not be obvious for up to 12 hours and so you may not realise immediately that you are suffering but you should attend a doctor’s practice as soon as you realise.

Common symptoms of whiplash include stiffness, soreness and pain when moving the head, neck and shoulders as well as headaches.

5 Things You Can Include In A Holiday Accident Claim

If you decide to make a compensation claim following a car accident in Lanzarote, then your personal injury solicitor will be able to claim for a number of different elements:

  • General damages are the part of any claim which covers compensation for the actual injuries caused to you. There is a pre-defined list of injuries and each one has a range of compensation associated with it depending on the severity. The job of your solicitor is to provide evidence that supports and proves the exact level of injury you are claiming for (from minor to severe).
  • Travel costs can be included in any claim if the costs incurred were because of the accident. For instance, if you had to alter your travel plans because you were either delayed or had to return home early then the costs can be claimed back.
  • Care costs are another element that can be included in your claim. These cover the costs that you have to pay out to get somebody to complete tasks that you would normally do for yourself but are unable to do because of your injuries.
  • Damage to personal property is something that often gets added to a compensation claim. If your clothes, jewellery, glasses, phone, camera or other items were damaged at the time of your car crash then you can ask for the cost to repair or replace the items.
  • Loss of earnings can be claimed if, when you’ve returned from holiday, you’re unable to return to work immediately which means you get paid less. If you are likely to need more time off from work for medical treatment or you physically aren’t able to continue in the same job because of your injuries, then a claim for future loss of earnings can be added.

With any claim that centres around financial losses, we recommend that you provide receipts or credit card statements as evidence of your additional expenditure.

Lanzarote Car Accident Compensation Calculator

Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a personal injury compensation calculator as every single claim has a unique set of circumstances associated with it. Our team will be able to give you an idea of compensation amounts once they’ve assessed your claim but for now you could look at the table below which shows the amount of compensation awarded for different injuries (under the general damages part of your claim):

Edit
Type of injury claimed for Range of compensation awards Further information
Loss of earnings £10,000 – £400,000 This is for any earnings loss due to the injuries and can include the future loss of earnings as well
Loss of benefits £5,000 – £500,000 If you’ve lost benefits as a result of your accident and injuries then this can be claimed back
Pain and suffering £1,000 – £200,000 The more pain and suffering that is caused, the higher the compensation will be.
Minor brain injuries £1,675 – £9,700 Compensation can be paid for very minor brain injuries including headaches and minor bruising
Less severe level of chest injury £9,575 – £13,650 No long term effect on the lungs but could be soft tissue damage which heals relatively quickly.
Minor head injuries £1,500 – £9,500 Head injuries where there was no brain damage.
Moderate head injury £12,500 – £200,000 This range includes reduced cognitive abilities as well as motor functions.
Either severe head or brain
injury/ damage
£214,350 – £307,000 This is usually a life changing injury and the severity of the impact on the claimant will eventually determine how much compensation will be claimed

If your injury isn’t listed then don’t worry, this is just a small sample so please give us a call if you’d like to clarify what your injury compensation could be.

No Win No Fee Lanzarote Car And Road Accident Claims

No win no fee compensation claims are the most stress free way to make a Lanzarote car accident claim as you know you’re not going to end up with a large legal bill if you lose.

If your solicitor doesn’t win you any compensation, then you don’t have to pay them anything at all for their services. If they do win, they retain an agreed percentage of your compensation and send you the rest directly. There are no hourly rates and no up-front fees.

Your solicitor will complete the same tasks a solicitor that charges by the hour but they won’t charge you for those tasks if they lose your case.

How Legal Expert Can Help You Claim For A Car Accident Abroad

Legal Expert are a friendly team of specialist personal injury solicitors that have been advising clients, honestly and openly, on their chances of successfully making a compensation claim for many years.

We only work on a no win no fee basis and are available during your claim process to answer any questions you may have about your claim and its progress.

Talk To Us Today

Now that you’ve read this guide about making compensation claims following a car accident in Lanzarote, we’d love to be chosen by you to act as your injury solicitor. If you’d like Legal Expert to act on your behalf, then please get in touch by:

  • Telephone: Call for free, today, on 0800 073 8804.
  • Live Chat: Discuss your claim with our team online, 7 days a week.
  • Email: Send a description of your accident to info@legalexpert.co.uk
  • Online Claim: Fill in our easy form to begin your claim.

Once you’ve contacted us we’ll assess your claim in a free consultation and let you know what we think about the likely success in making a compensation claim.

British Embassy for the Canary Islands And Spanish Holiday Accident Claim Guides

Here are some useful resources that you may need while deciding on your next steps:

British Consulate Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Calle Luis Morote 6-3
35007 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Spain
Tel: +34 928 26 25 08

Web: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-las-palmas-de-gran-canaria.

Canary Island Accident Claims – a guide to making holiday accident claims in all of the Canary Islands

Lanzarote Holiday Accident Claims – another holiday accident guide but this time specifically about Lanzarote, and not just regarding car accidents.

Further Related Guides

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    Meet The Team

    • Patrick Mallon

      Patrick is a Grade A solicitor having qualified in 2005. He's an an expert in accident at work and public liability claims and is currently our head of the EL/PL department. Get in touch today for free to see how we can help you.