What to do if you’re injured or fall ill in the USA

4 min read
July 02, 2025

Traveling in the United States can be the experience of a lifetime. But if you’re injured or fall ill whilst traveling there, the American dream can quickly become a nightmare.

Beyond the difficulty of navigating an unfamiliar healthcare system, UK travellers caught up in accidents or suffering serious illness while in the US can often incur huge costs.

We lay out what to do if you fall ill or get injured in the USA, when it may be appropriate to seek compensation and how to do so.  

What should I do if I get injured or fall ill in the USA?

You may be understandably shaken up and concerned if you or a loved one has been injured or become ill during a trip to the US. Not only is their healthcare system very different from ours, we all know that the costs of medical treatment across the pond are staggering.

Seek medical attention 

The most important thing in any situation where you or a loved one is ill or injured is to seek help. Especially if the injury or illness is serious, you must get appropriate medical attention as soon as possible. 

If it’s serious or life-threatening, call 911, the US emergency number for ambulance, police, and fire services. You will be taken to a hospital regardless of insurance status, but you will be billed later.

For non-life-threatening issues, minor injuries or illness, you can visit an urgent care clinic. These walk-in services are usually cheaper and quicker than hospital emergency rooms. You’ll still need to pay upfront or provide insurance details.

Contact your insurer 

You should also contact your travel insurance provider as soon as possible. The UK does not have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the US, so you’ll need to have travel insurance to cover the cost of any medical treatment you require. 

Your insurer will also be able to offer advice and guidance on preferred providers. If your condition requires ongoing care, your insurer might also arrange medical evacuation back to the UK.

If you don’t have insurance, you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket, and US healthcare is very expensive.

Important insurance tips:

If you’re travelling to the US, always buy comprehensive travel insurance that covers:

  • Medical emergencies
  • Repatriation
  • Any pre-existing conditions (if applicable)

Check out the Resolver Guide to Travel Insurance

Contact the British Embassy or Consulate

It may also be good to contact the British Embassy or Consulate. They won’t pay medical bills, but they can:

  • Help you contact family.
  • Advise on local services.
  • Assist in emergencies or serious cases (e.g. mental health, hospitalization, etc.).

You can find your closest embassy or consulate via the gov.uk USA page here. 

Keep a careful record 

Whatever happens, make sure that you keep all documents and receipts. This includes medical records, bills, prescriptions, and insurance claim forms. You’ll need these for any claims or reimbursements.

When could you claim compensation?

In the UK we often criticise the suing culture of the US. However, the fact is that their legal system means that lawsuits are often the only way for ordinary people to hold companies to account for their failures. As The Complainer recently explored, with cases for collective redress we may be seeing UK consumers benefitting from a US-led approach to getting justice. 

In some instances, when an injury or illness was caused by another person or company, you may wish to hold them to account: both to ensure that you are not out of pocket and to prevent it happening to anyone else in the future. 

The type of incidents that you may experience in the USA and want to follow up with further action include:

  • Road traffic accidents: where a third party driver’s negligence or a neglected road surface or environment was to blame
  • Holiday accidents: poolside slips, hotel trips and even theme park ride failures which are caused by poor maintenance
  • Circumstances in which illness or injury could be caused unnecessarily. 

Any compensation settlement will take into account your out of pocket expenses and the full extent of your injuries, as well as any ongoing medical support you’ll need back in the UK. This includes your possible inability to return to work, and compensation for the pain and suffering you and your family have experienced.

How to make a claim

If you have been injured in an accident in the USA, or if a loved one has died, you could have a case for compensation. Even if it happened on the way there, you could be entitled to financial redress. 

While your primary bill payer for medical incidents will always be your insurance company but they will not necessarily deal with a claim for compensation. 

Our recommended provider, Danenza Law Group, is a top-tier firm based in Miami with a strong network. Whether you’re insured or not they can help and provide the best legal support to ensure that you are not out of pocket due an illness or injury caused by negligence or failure to adhere to proper consumer protection standards and regulations.  

They operate on a no-win no-fee basis which means they’ll review your case for free, and you won’t pay a thing unless they win! There’s no obligation to continue with them after your initial conversation – they can provide great advice on your options.

Get expert advice on whether you should make a claim

 

If you have any thoughts on this topic, or any other consumer issues you would like us to cover, feel free to get in touch with us at support@resolver.co.uk.

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