To expect compensation from holiday company

[Ihaveausername]

Changing a few details and being vague to remain unidentifiable. My partner and I recently had a 2 week holiday somewhere warm to celebrate a birthday and anniversary. On day 2 of the holiday my husband was injured as a result of something breaking (that shouldn't have). He grazed his forearm from fingertip to elbow, slight grazing to the leg and suffered a bump to the head. He received first aid from a hotel employee including an ice pack for his head. The next few days were a write off until his wounds healed and he didn't feel so sore. I have pictures of it all and the bruises He still had 6 days later. It was reported at the time and the travel company representatives checked in on him.
On our return I submitted the photos and a report of the incident to the travel company for some kind of apology / compensation, but they have told us that is not possible as we did not get a medical report.
This seems so unfair and we are wondering if we should take it further. What are our chances? Anyone have any experience of this.

Thank you for saying this. It chimes with my experience.

To those people who have been unkind, I'll just quote my late husband's words: you'll be old yourself some day, if you're lucky.

Anonforthis58

"To put it in perspective - abroad, my mid teens dd slipped on a soaked shower room floor due to incorrect drainage and flow of the wet room shower area - she broke her wrist. It was xrayed, strapped up, she was in agony - but guess what? She continued with the holiday, stayed away from the pool, but carried on as best she could. She still showered every day, in the same shower room the accident happened in.
Honestly, get a grip."

Bit of a difference between mid teens and a 70 year old who has suffered 2 strokes. Stupid comment.

Good grief. I look like that most of the time due to having really thin skin. Yes, it hurts me but I just get on with life!

It’s a shame that scratches are visible but empathy is invisible.

@ArtyFartyHippopotamus it was a floorboard that broke as he walked on it, so he fell 🫤

Is this a joke?

It looks like very light injuries to spoil a whole holiday.
Even if it was serious it's not the responsibility of the travel company to compensate you, you would have to claim in the first incidence to your travel insurance, for that you would need a medical report.
If it's the fault of the accommodation, which is something you would need to prove- very difficult without accident reports and photos from the time (of the offending object), then you would have to sue the hotel/resort, which is very difficult and expensive- because it's in a different country with different laws.
The only way your travel company would be responsible is if it destroyed/cut your holiday short, and you were not partly responsible for the accident, so again photos and accident report from the time. They actually more than met their obligations by checking on him. You are therefore being unreasonable to expect compensation, you could pursue it but it would be expensive and very probably unsuccessful.

He's got some grazes.
Sorry it happened but compensation - well no.
Maybe a bottle of wine or a small voucher

Yabu I've done a lot better that on my own arm, I still got up and had to wash and clean my bed bound husband. Why are you trying to take the piss?

If your correspondence with the travel company is anything like what’s shared here, that’s probably part of the issue.

The photo looks like total non issue scrapes.

The wider picture, of an elderly person being hurt, shook up and frightened by having a section of floor collapse underneath them is quite different. You say you had contact with the reps, I would be tempted to point out to the holiday company that at no point did the reps recommend a medical assessment (although if they did, then that limits your grounds).

The ‘injury’ compensation route is a pack of worms for them to go into, and they wisely won’t for a minor scrape.

The ‘condition of the hotel buildings were such that floor broke and couldn’t then feel confident using the facilities or enjoying holiday, had selected as suitable for frail person, events meant clearly weren’t. Is more likely to get something sensible (and a better reflection of your actual issues).

I understand that strokes can completely alter a person so I get why your husband may have felt so adversely affected. I will say however, that I would have absolutely sought medical care for the head injury but also due to his medical history and the blood thinners.
You won't get compensation for a graze unfortunately though. Yes a small token gesture wouldn't have gone amiss.

Brilliant 😂😂

Oh OP… sounds like it’s been a tough couple of years.

You must have been really looking forward to your break - and I can understand that this accident, whilst it it might seem pretty minor to many of us, must have been quite upsetting and unsettling for you both.

I also know full well that a bump on the head if you are on blood thinners can be serious. But bearing this in mind, if you knew this, why on earth did your OH refuse to see a doctor??

Sadly, over the years ‘compensation culture’ in the holiday industry has escalated to a level where many holidaymakers are constantly looking for any reason at all to get compensation, freebies, money off - whatever.

It’s become almost a game to many.

Some folk can barely stop themselves boasting about how much money off they’ve received, free holidays whatever. They set out planning to find one way or another to get a heavily discounted / free holiday.

Thankfully, the holiday and insurance companies finally seem to have wised up and had enough of people who set out to capitalise (or even cause) minor accidents, to the point they are deliberately defrauding the holiday industry.

Whilst I am in no way suggesting this is what happened here, I suspect that every single week, your hotel willhave holidaymakers complaining about one thing or another ‘in hope’ - and it must be hard on hotel staff for compassion fatigue not to set in a bit, when people are constantly trying it on.

This kind of behaviour also means that holidays and holiday insurance have become increasingly expensive for everyone else.

I absolutely believe in good old fashioned customer service - but I guess the problem these days, is that giving even a simple customer service gesture (like the complimentary bottle of wine you would have liked) might be seen as the hotel accepting legal liability?

I am all for hotels being safe - and keeping on top of essential building maintenance. As you say - it’s good that the hotel took the opportunity to make a repair.

I hope you are ok OP, the responses on here are very unnecessary and most of them won’t realise how upsetting their responses can be. You don’t expect things like the floor breaking on holiday no, but I’m glad your husband was ok in the end. Agree you are unlikely to get anywhere with the travel company though. I think it would be a lot of effort for very little reward. I think you’d be within your writes to give a negative review on the hotel though to make others aware of the standards of the hotel. Hope your next holiday isn’t as eventful x

Were the hotel at fault somehow? Sorry if I'm missing something but what do you want them to apologise for exactly? From what you've said, it seems he maybe had a trip/slip/fall? Not a nice thing to happen but I don't think you ought to be chasing compensation for an accident that grazed an arm. Perhaps if it was broken or he was hospitalized/needed a doctor? But I'm really not a fan of the 'where there's blame there's a claim,' culture we seem to live in now!
Hope he feels better now.

I had worse on a holiday in Europe when I slipped in a shower with no grippy bottom or any sort of hand rail. I didn’t try to claim anything. Accidents and breakages occur and unless it’s terrible I would not try to see it as an opportunity to get money from someone. I hate compensation culture.

Customer Service Advisor here for a travel company -🙄 to claim compensation for injury or illness it essentially becomes a legal claim - you wont be compensated without following a process as that is essentially admitting liability, you are asked to provide medical proof of any injury/ illness to start the legal process as you need to show the hotel/company were responsible , if companies paid for every graze/bump/dodgy prawn there would be a lot less companies and holidays would become more expensive holidays to recoup costs. Yes its unfortunate it impacted your holiday but with medical evidence to start a legal claim you wont be compensated unfortunately

I've no doubt it was upsetting but logically it doesn't make sense.

If it was very bad amd he was suffering and at risk, then why no trip to a doctor or injury clinic.

If you were really worried or concerned, then you would have sought medical assistance.

It just doesn't add up.

lol … of course a broken bone is the same as a few grazes 🙄🙄 your comment is stupid.

What isn’t brilliant is your total empathy bypass.

@Ihaveausername sorry you seem to have had a bit of a battering here.
It seems many people either haven’t read the full thread, or your follow-up posts.

It must’ve been a big shock for your husband, given his medical history.
I hope he is ok now. I agree with other, more sympathetic posters, that it’s a shame the hotel didn’t offer you a complimentary meal etc… by way of apology.

Well that's ridiculous to claim compo for

Yes, the hotel was at fault - the flooring gave way.

"lol … of course a broken bone is the same as a few grazes 🙄🙄 your comment is stupid."

Sorry you are an idiot.

Based off your picture, yup, just a graze! Really can't see how that stopped him enjoying his holiday for 6 days!