Can I get legal help?

[seshat]

I was wondering if you could help me please.

I and my husband were involved in an accident while on our honeymoon in Egypt where the driver of the jeep we were in on a desert safari drove over a sand dune which turned into a vertical drop at the bottom. The dune was so large you could not see if the decent was safe and he drove straight over it without getting out and checking first (the guide did not check either).

My husband sustained a L1 spinal fracture and an unstable L5 spinal fracture. I sustained a cracked sternum and a L1 spinal fracture.

I had taken out travel insurance which covers £50,000 worth of legal costs. However, they will not assist me in making a compensation claim as they say the legal fees would be greater than any compensation we may receive as the company we used are Egyptian therefore the claim would come under Egyptian jurisdiction.

We have found an Egyptian judge who says he may be able to help us however, do you know if we could get funding for our case if we do indeed have one?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

[vallaw]

Did you book directly with the Egyptian company or through a British company rep? Don't know if it makes any difference . .

[seshat]

Hi.

We booked directly with the Egyptian company....

[hc4361]

Do you know if the jeep company has proper insurance?
If not, do they have the assets to make it worthwhile to sue?

[seshat]

I really am not certain to be honest. The company we used are quite an established company based in Cairo and are registered with the Egyptian Tourist Authority so I imagine they would have to have insurance but I do not know if they pay a different company for the jeeps, drivers etc.

I feel at a bit of a loss with this one as no company in the UK are willing to help and as I said the Egyptian judge may be able to help but I was just wondering about funding for legal fees etc. and I do not imagine he will do it for nothing.

Thanks :-).

[hc4361]

No chance of getting funding for legal fees, as far as I know.

[seshat]

Hmmmmm, thank you. Not sure how to go ahead with this one.

Thanks again.

[hc4361]

You could appeal to your travel insurance company and if they still won't budge, try the Ombudsman.
http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

To be clear have you received any form of compensation from the insurance company?

[seshat]

Will do.

Thanks again :-)

[Nini74]

i don't see why your insurers are refusing to help - thats the point of travel insurance isn' t it. very frustrating. if you get nowhere with your insurers, i would contact the law society to get a solicitor here who specialises in claims in different jurisdictions. as it won't come under the package tour regulations, you're likely to need a specialist. good luck

[seshat]

Thank you so much Nini74, I shall also try that :-)

[seshat]

Hi hc4361

So sorry, I meant to add in my reply to you that I have had nothing from the insurance company (they say I may get a refund of medical costs but that only came to around £30!).

Thanks again.