Police in Jamaica report that a Las Vegas man vacationing on the island was killed when he was hit in the head by a personal watercraft vehicle. Thomas Torres was swimming in the ocean near Negril when he was hit by the vehicle. He was taken to a hospital but pronounced dead of his injuries. One person has been arrested but no charges have yet been filed, according to Jamaican authorities. This accident comes in the wake of a ban on personal watercraft importation and an effort to tighten enforcement of safety regulations regarding their use in Jamaican waters.
CAN I FILE A LAWSUIT IF I AM HURT OVERSEAS?
Filing a lawsuit if you are hurt outside of the United States can be very tricky. Much depends on where you were hurt, who caused the accident and the extent of your injuries. It also depends on whether the responsible person has any insurance or assets to pay your claim. One notable exception to this rule is for Americans who are working overseas for American companies. In these cases, the employer must carry worker’s compensation insurance to protect the workers in these locations regardless of where they are located. These cases may be much easier to pursue because there is a clearly defined responsibility on the part of the employer as well as an insurance company to pay the damages.
On the other hand, when someone is injured on vacation overseas, it may be difficult for him or her to collect any damages at all. The laws of various nations may require that a case be tried within their borders, meaning that in order to bring a lawsuit you would have to travel to that country. Further, trying to access bank accounts, records and other information may be problematic.
HOW WILL MY OVERSEAS CASE BE HANDLED?
In most cases, personal injury attorneys will associate foreign counsel to assist in pursuing an international claim. This means that you will be represented by an American attorney such as those at High Stakes Injury Law, while these attorneys will hire attorneys in the country in which the accident occurred. In this way, your interests are protected and you will have the best chance of recovering financial compensation for your injuries. If you have been injured, no matter where the accident happened, contact High Stakes Injury Law, one of Las Vegas’s leading injury law firms, for help.