Turkey Allergic Reaction Compensation Claims Guide – How To Claim For A Food Allergy Injury Claim In Turkey?

If you’ve been on holiday in Turkey, you’re no doubt aware of what a beautiful country it is.  Thousands of British tourists flock there every year and have a great time, but for some, a Turkey allergic reaction compensation claim may be required if they become ill due to allergens being present in food.

Legal Expert are specialists in making personal injury claims and have helped many over the years.  If you would like to begin an allergic reaction claim today, please call us now on 0800 073 8804.  Our team of advisors are waiting to speak with you straight away.

If you’d like to know more first, please carry on reading this guide.

Select A Section

• A Guide To Claiming Compensation For A Food Allergy In Turkey
• What Are Food Allergies?
• What Foods Can People Be Allergic To?
• What Are The Most Common Symptoms Of A Food Allergy?
• What Should You Do If You Have An Allergic Reaction?
• Getting Emergency Assistance And Healthcare In Turkey
• Package Holiday Food Allergy Claims
• Airline Food Allergy Claims
• Turkish Holiday Illness Claims Time Limits
• Turkey Allergic Reaction Personal Injury Claims Calculator
• What Other Costs Could You Claim Compensation For?
• No win No Fee Claims For An Allergic Reaction In Turkey
• Why Make A Turkey Allergic Reaction Claim With Our Team?
• How To Contact Our Holiday Claims Experts
• British Embassy Services And Turkish Holiday Claims Guides

A Guide To Claiming Compensation For A Food Allergy In Turkey

Allergic reaction in Turkey

Turkey has long been a popular destination for British tourists. In 2016 over 1.7 million of us travelled there to enjoy the beaches in the Turkish Riviera and other resorts.

Most tourists visit Turkey, relax, have fun and enjoy a memorable holiday.  While, for others, a holiday can be completely ruined by accidents or illnesses.  One particular incident, which can be fatal in severe cases, is allergic reactions.

This guide will cover what type of allergies can occur and the common symptoms.  We’ll also cover how much compensation you could be entitled to, what to do at the time of an allergic reaction and how Legal Expert can help you claim, using a no win no fee service.

What Are Food Allergies?

Technically, an allergic reaction caused by food happens when the body decides that a normally harmless foodstuff is bad for the sufferer.  It is still unclear why the body reacts in this way and often allergies are hereditary.

The immune system is to blame for allergic reactions as it tries to deal with the allergen, in the same way it would a virus or disease.

We’ll cover the symptoms and types of allergies that occur later in this guide, but if you would like to make a Turkey allergic reaction compensation claim, then please get in touch with one of our trained advisors.

What Foods Can People Be Allergic To?

According to the Food Standards Agency, there are 14 main food types that cause allergic reactions.  Each of these, in the UK, must be highlighted on menus, food packaging or in shop displays so that sufferers are aware.

Some are more common than others as you’ll see.  The 14 common food allergies are:

• Gluten Allergy: Many cereals contain gluten including barley, wheat, rye and oats.
• Egg Allergy: Although a sufferer would avoid all egg-based meals, other places they can be found include cakes, pasta and mayonnaise.
• Milk Allergy: Milk is found in many dairy products as well as some powdered soups.
• Mustard Allergy: Any type of mustard, whether it’s in liquid, seed or powder form may trigger a reaction.
• Nut Allergy: Nuts are one of the most common allergies heard about in the press. Even the slightest cross-contamination of nuts can cause an allergic reaction.  This is based on tree nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds.
• Celery Allergy: Any part of a celery plant, including celeriac, can contribute to a reaction.
• Shellfish Allergy: Prawns, scampi, crabs or lobster are all shellfish which can cause reactions.
• Peanut Allergy: Different to nut allergies as peanuts grow underground. Peanuts can be found in many products.
• Sulphite Allergy: Sulphur dioxide is found in many products including soft drinks, dried fruits and wine and beer.
• Sesame Seeds: These can be found in many bread-based products.
• Mollusc Allergy: Molluscs such as snails, mussels or oyster sauces can cause allergic reactions for some.
• Lupin Allergy: Some breads contain lupin flour, which can cause problems for those allergic to it.

Allergic reactions caused by any of these allergens can be claimed if the labelling didn’t highlight it was used in the food that you consumed.  You should try to photograph any menu or retain any packaging to prove that the allergen wasn’t highlighted.  You should also ensure you report the allergic reaction to the restaurant or hotel where it happened.

If any of these allergens has caused you to suffer an allergic reaction, please contact us to discuss beginning a claim.

What Are The Most Common Symptoms Of A Food Allergy?

There are some common symptoms that will highlight you’re suffering from an allergic reaction, some more serious than others.  Even for mild irritations, you could seek compensation if the allergen wasn’t highlighted on food labelling or menus.

The most common symptoms include:

• A runny or blocked nose
• Rashes which cause redness and itchiness
• Coughing or wheezing
• Sneezing
• Watery, itchy or red eyes
• Asthma or Eczema symptoms which become worse than normal
• Anaphylaxis (severe but rare)

Anaphylaxis is what makes headline news because it can be fatal in some cases.  It can happen suddenly, with no warning and will worsen very quickly.

Symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

• A very fast heart rate
• Becoming unconscious or collapsing
• Becoming confused or anxious
• Difficulty breathing, including shallow or fast breathing.
• Wheezing
• Feeling faint or lightheaded
• Hives, feeling sick or stomach pain

In the next section we’ll cover what to do in the event of an allergic reaction, but with anaphylaxis, medical attention should be sought immediately.

What Should You Do If You Have An Allergic Reaction?

In most cases, especially while on holiday in Turkey, we’d recommend you seek medical advice if you suffer an allergic reaction to food or drink, especially if you’ve never suffered before.

In emergency situations, such as anaphylaxis, there are further steps recommended by the NHS:

• If you know how to use one, use an adrenaline auto-injector if the injured person has one.
• Call emergency services immediately. Don’t delay and call them even if the injured person starts to show signs of recovery.
• Lie the victim flat on the ground if they’re conscious, not pregnant and not struggling to breath
• After a 5 to 15 minute period, give another adrenaline injection if symptoms aren’t improving.

Don’t try to guess how to use an adrenaline injector, if done incorrectly you could worsen the situation.

We’ll cover how to contact emergency services in Turkey in the next section but if you’re unable to do so, call for help from anybody nearby.

Getting Emergency Assistance And Healthcare In Turkey

In Turkey, there is a national emergency number similar to the one operated in the UK.  If you dial 112, you’ll be connected to an operator who will put you through to the Ambulance service for immediate assistance.

It’s worth noting that the European Health Insurance Card is not used in Turkey, so you should make sure you either have funds or travel insurance to cover the cost of medical care.  Before undergoing any treatment, it’s advisable to call your travel insurer as soon as possible to make sure they will cover the costs.

When attending a hospital or medical practice you will probably need to provide your insurers details so try to carry your insurance documents with you at all times.

In severe incidents of allergic reactions such as fatalities, you may need the help of the British Embassy.  For your information, we’ve provided all of their contact details at the end of this guide.

Package Holiday Food Allergy Claims

If your holiday was booked as part of a package holiday, you may be entitled to extra protection offered by UK legislation.  The Package Travel, Package Holiday and Package Tour regulations 1992 were designed to protect British tourists who book through a package holiday provider.

It means that the provider of the package holiday has a duty of care to protect their customers, even if they do not own the hotel, plane or provide the excursion where the allergic reaction.

This could mean that a claim would be against the tour operator rather than the place where the accident happened.  This is because, the duty of care extends to any provider the tour operator uses.

To be classed as a package holiday, you need to have booked two main parts of your holiday through the provider.  This can be confusing so seek advice from our team if you’re unsure if you booked a package holiday.

The three main parts of a holiday that can be considered are:

• Flights
• Hotels
• Excursions

If you booked any 2, or all 3, of these parts of your holiday, or paid one company for them all, you could probably claim under package holiday regulations.

You should ensure that, following any allergic reaction, you report the incident to your holiday rep on the emergency number they provide you with when you arrive in resort.

Airline Food Allergy Claims

In the same way that land-based food suppliers must label allergens on food, the same is true on board planes.  If you suffer an allergic reaction while on a flight to Turkey, you could seek compensation.

Although UK laws are currently being reviewed, some airlines have announced plans to ban all peanuts (and some other allergens) from being eaten in-flight if a customer tells them that they suffer from allergic reactions.

This may seem a bit drastic, but some sufferers can be affected simply by breathing in peanut dust.  As you can imagine, an allergic reaction on board a plane, especially anaphylaxis, can be very difficult to treat and the symptoms can remain untreated for a long time.

If you’ve suffered any type of allergic reaction on a flight to Turkey, please contact us for advice on whether you have a chance of claiming compensation or not.

Turkish Holiday Illness Claims Time Limits

As with personal injury claims within the UK, Turkish claims have time limits associated with them.  If you fail to lodge a claim in time, it will be rejected automatically and there is no route to appeal.

Depending on how you booked the holiday, different time limits will apply.  Please see the following table for the latest time limits that apply.

Give your solicitor as much time as possible to prepare your claim by contacting them as soon as possible.  Leaving the claim late may result in a rushed claim and you not receiving as much compensation as you deserve.

Turkey Allergic Reaction Personal Injury Claims Calculator

You may be wondering what amount of compensation you could be entitled to for your injuries.   When you contact our team, we will assess your claim, the injuries you sustained and the impact they’ve had on you.  At this point, we can offer an estimated calculation of how much compensation you could claim.

The table below shows some compensation amounts for specific injuries:

As you can see, compensation is awarded based on the severity of the injury or illness. Your solicitor will use evidence, such as medical records, to ensure your injury is categorised correctly and the right level of compensation awarded.

This is just a small selection of injuries, but Legal Expert can help with any food allergy claim that might occur.  Please get in touch if you’re not sure what your injuries or illness might be worth.

What Other Costs Could You Claim Compensation For?

You may think that you can only claim compensation for the injuries or illness sustained following an allergic reaction.  In fact, there are many other elements that a personal injury lawyer could claim for on your behalf.

These include:

General Damages: This is the part of compensation that covers the pain and suffering caused by an accident.  There are pre-defined ranges of compensation for different injuries.  Your solicitor will need to prove the exact nature of your injuries so that you get the correct compensation amount.

Travel Costs: When you have an accident, you may need to make many trips to doctors, hospitals, solicitors or other trips associated with your accident.  It could also be that you had to re-arrange your flight back to the UK because you weren’t able to travel on the scheduled return date.  In any of these cases, you could claim compensation for these losses.

Lost Income: If your injuries are so serious that they mean you can no longer complete the same tasks at work that are required, you may lose income if you have to change to a different job.  If this happens, you could claim compensation for loss of earnings and also future loss of earnings.

Care Costs:  When you need help while recovering from your injuries, you may be able to claim the cost of any professional care you require.  Please check with your solicitor before committing to these costs.

Loss of Enjoyment: If your injuries mean you have to spend a lot of time in your hotel room recovering, or you have to go home early.  You could seek compensation for the loss of enjoyment for your holiday.

Ultimately, other than general damages, most of the compensation listed is to ensure, that financially, you do not suffer because of your accident.  Your solicitor will try to make as full a claim as possible, so try to provide them with as much information and supporting evidence (such as receipts) as possible.

Once a claim has been settled and agreed by both parties, you can not ask for more compensation at a later date, even if you forgot to include something in your original claim.

No win No Fee Claims For An Allergic Reaction In Turkey

Some people fail to file compensation claims because they’re worried about the legal costs involved.  This could be a problem but not if you use a solicitor offering a no win no fee service.

When you hire a personal injury solicitor, you have 2 choices:

1. Hire a no win no fee solicitor. You won’t pay anything up front and you won’t pay if they lose the case.  If they win, they simply retain a portion of your compensation (called a success fee) to cover their costs.
2. Pay a solicitor an hourly rate for their service. The benefit of this method is that you keep 100% of any compensation awarded but you have to pay for their fees up front.  You also have to pay them, even if they lose the case.

A success fee is limited to 25% of any compensation awarded and is explained in full, within the no win no fee agreement, before you agree to use a solicitor.

We work on a no win no fee basis for all cases we take on.  This is because our clients tell us it makes the claim stress free and reduces the risk involved with claiming.

Why Make A Turkey Allergic Reaction Claim With Our Team?

Legal Expert have been assisting clients with personal injury claims over many years.  Our experience stands us in good stead and our solicitors know what is required (and what’s not) to make a successful claim.

We work tirelessly to ensure our clients receive the compensation they deserve.  We are friendly, professional and contactable throughout your claim to assist you where needed.

When you contact us, we offer a free initial consultation to assess your claim.   You’re under no obligation to proceed with us, so feel free to call and see if you think we can help you with your claim.

If you would need any legal advice, our team can offer it for free so that you can decide on what steps to make next and whether to continue to make a claim or not.

How To Contact Our Holiday Claims Experts

If, now that you’ve read this guide fully, you want to use Legal Expert to begin your allergy claim, you can contact us in any of these ways:

• Call us on 0800 073 8804. It’s free and you’ll get straight through to one of our expert advisors.
• Send an email to info@legalexpert.co.uk. We’ll get back to you when it’s convenient.
• Use our live chat feature. Our advisors can help you online, 7 days a week.
• Fill in this online form. We’ll begin a claim and get back to you right away.

When you contact us, we’ll offer a free initial consultation.  We’ll assess your claim and advise you if we think you’ve got a good chance of successfully claiming compensation.  If we think your chances are good, we’ll provide a no win no fee solicitor when you’re ready to begin a claim.

British Embassy Services And Turkish Holiday Claims Guides

Hopefully you’ve gained enough information from this guide to help you decide whether to begin a Turkey allergic reaction compensation claim or not.  For reference, we’ve included some more useful guides and information below.

• Turkey Holiday Accident Claims – a guide about how to claim compensation for any type of accident while on a Turkish holiday, not just allergic reactions.
• Turkey Hotel Claims – a guide about claiming if your accident occurred within a hotel in Turkey.
• Flight Accident Claims – information on how to make a claim for accidents on board planes, including allergic reactions.
• Allergies Guide – a very well written guide, by the NHS, about allergies, their causes and treatments.

Here are the details for the British Embassy in Turkey, should you need them:

British Embassy Ankara
Şehit Ersan Caddesi 46/A
Çankaya
Ankara
Turkey
Email: info.officer@fco.gov.uk
Telephone: +90 312 455 33 44
Web: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-ankara

British Consulate General Istanbul
Meşrutiyet Caddesi No 34
Tepebaşı Beyoglu
34435 Istanbul
Turkey
Telephone: +90 212 334 64 00
Web: www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-istanbul

If you require any more information, please call one of our specialist advisors who can offer free legal advice so that you can make an informed decision about making your claim.