Two teenage girls who were vacationing in Panama City Florida are still in critical condition after being involved in a parasailing accident in which the parasail became untethered from the boat. According to Fox News the families of the girls have expressed optimism that the girls have been able to make gestures to communicate but they have sustained severe injuries to the back and neck. An absolutely tragic accident that can make anyone take pause and think a bit more in depth about what can actually happen when you and your family are on vacation.
We all want and expect our vacations to go smoothly and to be filled with fun and adventure. Often times this means we may participate in events or sports that we would not do on a normal day. While this can be fun it also may lead to a greater chance of injury. To make matters worse dealing with that injury can be all the more problematic when you are away from home.
One way to be proactive in preparing yourself for a potential accident before your vacation is to make a list of contacts of people you know will work in your best interests in case of an emergency. Carry that list with you at all times in a safe place directly on your person. Make sure you have a hard copy of this list and don’t completely count on your cellphone or laptop (which can break,be erased or stolen). Include doctors, lawyers, friends and family members that you trust. Include the contact information for your bank and credit card companies. If you are traveling out of the country include contact and location information for your home country's embassy in the country you are visiting.
This makes it so that even if you can not see your regular family doctor in person they may be able to speak with the caring physician on hand. If you can’t or don’t know how to find reliable legal counsel where you are than you can contact a lawyer you already are comfortable with to advise you. If you need to inform or tell family and friends what is happening you have the ability to do so. Also, if you are involved in an accident in which you are knocked unconscious having the list of contacts will give the people trying to help you a way to find out who you are and who to talk to.
Remember, if you are involved in an injury while on vacation make sure you get legal counsel as well as medical care. When you are dealing with the rest of the confusion that can come with a tragic event having trusted legal counsel can help ensure that you are covering your bases.
If you have been involved in an accident, at home or while away, and are in need of legal assistance contact Elizabeth Citrin, P.C. Attorney at Law here.
To read the full article on the teenagers who were injured in Florida you can see the article here.