You might be living an ideal life working across borders, but it doesn’t come without risk. The fact that you find yourself in unfamiliar places puts you at risk of being involved in highly critical situations, such as a car accident or when you find yourself in the middle of a bar fight.
This is not to spoil the benefit of going on official travels, but it pays to be prepared for any worst-case scenario that could leave you injured. Things can get complicated along the way if you don’t know who to contact and what to do in the aftermath of an accident. It pays to come up with a contingency plan aimed at securing your well-being and ensuring that you get home in one piece. Here’s what you need to remember before going on an official business trip:
1. Prioritise Immediate Medical Attention
Whatever happens to you along the way, your priority is to make sure your injuries are properly treated and documented. Whether you’re involved in a car collision or an accident while riding a lift, tend to your needs even if you think your injuries are minimal. The smallest scratches and bruises could harbor a more serious underlying issue that could only worsen every minute you delay treatment.
When you’re filing a claim as part of your exclusive employee contract, you need to make sure that the accident is the direct cause of your injuries. Otherwise, the company may attribute these to a separate event outside of official duties.
2. Let Your Employer Know
Regardless of where you are and the circumstances that caused the accident, timely reporting will help ease the claims process. For this reason, you must let the management know your whereabouts and provide a summary of the accident. If you’re in close contact with your supervisor, take photos of the scene and send them immediately.
It would also help if you could talk to your employer via video conference so they will have a good idea of your current condition and offer immediate assistance. However, the accident may occur in an isolated area where signal reception is weak, so it’s always a good rule of thumb to update your employer about your current location and where you are going so they will know where to start looking.
3. Keep Track of Your Expenses and Records
The success of your claims process will depend entirely on the severity of the accident as well as the money you paid out of pocket. You may be required to stay at a hospital for a specific duration or until your employer decides to transfer you to a company-recognised institution. No matter the case, you should always gather receipts and other documents that are critical to the credibility of your claim and guarantee a higher compensation amount in line with the terms of your employment.
On the other hand, be ready for when your employer and their insurance provider deny the compensation amount you’re entitled to. In that case, you may have to contact organisations like McCann Settlement Agreements to help you recover the bills and other expenses you paid out of pocket.
4. Choose Who to Trust
In the aftermath of an accident, those who are at fault will try to reach out and settle the matter before your employer finds out. It might seem like the best way to avoid a lengthy claims process, but there’s a good chance that you will be offered an amount that doesn’t reflect your actual injuries and losses. Even worse is when the other side will make you directly or indirectly admit fault, which could only muddle up the claims process further.
You might not be aware of the laws governing accidents in other countries, so it pays to refuse to sign anything that could jeopardise not just your claim, but also the relationship you have with your employer. Get them involved first and decide what actions to take or whether Embassy officials should take over.
Endnote
You can’t be too sure if your next official trip will be as safe as the last one. However, knowing what to do in the event of an accident will help you come home without much hassle.