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Avoiding accidents abroad

When on holiday accidents can and do happen which can result in you suffering an injury. These accidents can often turn a pleasant trip away into a nightmare.

A holiday accident claim can arise in various ways. You could trip on an uneven surface or slip on a spilt liquid in your hotel. You could get food poisoning from poorly cooked food or you could be injured on a broken tile in the swimming pool. These are all examples of holiday accident claims that we have dealt with and succeeded with resulting in our clients being awarded compensation.

In order to make a claim following an accident on holiday you need to have booked the holiday as a package. This means that at least two elements of the holiday must be booked together. A common example is flights and accommodation.

It doesn’t matter if the holiday accident happened at home or abroad as long as it forms part of a package. The accident claim will be dealt with in this jurisdiction so you won’t have the problem of dealing with a claim in a foreign country.

In order to pursue a accidents abroad claim it is important that you have reported the accident or illness to the holiday representatives and hotel staff. Other things that will help your claim are photographs of the scene, medical treatment information and any witness details.

We sincerely hope that your holiday is enjoyable and you that you don’t need to make an accident claim. However, if you should suffer a holiday accident or illness we strongly advice you to seek legal advice and assistance from lawyers with experience and expertise in holiday accident claims. You should also ask your legal representation about no win no fee options, and all have all costs detailed in writing before processing your claim.

To find out more about Holiday Accident Claims and other types of Package Holiday Accident Claims please visit www.mycompensationclaim.co.uk.

Venice is renowned as one of the more pricey European city break destinations but providing you’re armed with a bit of inside knowledge, you may be surprised to discover there are plenty ways to do it on the cheap. If you’re backpacking or your budget is tight, steer clear of the expensive restaurants and sightseeing tours – there are plenty of sites and historic attractions that can be explored either completely free of charge or at discounted rates. Check out our tips below:

Art exhibitions

Every other year Venice is home to a huge international art show - the Venice Biennale, which takes place all over the city. While the two main sites at Giardini and Arsenale do require an entrance fee, there are plenty of other affiliated shows scattered around that are free to enter, and many are housed in impressive historic buildings and landscaped grounds which can be admired in their own right.

Churches

Venice is inundated with a wide architectural range of churches, many of which are free to enter. One of the most popular is St. Mark’s Basilica, one of Venice’s most magnificent - so be prepared for queues. Art buffs should check out the church of San Vidal which houses an imposing painting by Vittore Carpaccio above the high altar, as well as the Church of Santa Maria del Carmel which contains impressive paintings by Lorenzo Lotto and Cima da Conegliano.

Festivals and events

With a bit of research and timing, you may be able to catch one of Venice’s festivals and events without having to pay a penny. May is a good month to visit thanks to ‘heritage week’ which hosts a number of free events usually performed in local museums. Also check out the Carnival during February which showcases plenty of free entertainment and costume-clad revellers in the popular St. Mark’s Square. Finally, keep your eyes and ears peeled whilst you’re there – posters and ‘whats on’ leaflets are always a great source.

Food

Restaurants in Venice are notoriously pricey. The best thing to do if you want your euros to go further is avoid the tourist-thronged eateries and eat on the go – stock up with picnic/snack food from supermarkets or if you’re not that organised, you can usually pick up take-out pizza slices, warm sandwiches and bowls of pasta in local bistros at reasonable prices.

Discounted admission fees

You can pick up a variety of tourist discount cards such as the Rolling Venice card for discounted admission to a number of Venice tourist attractions. Being either old or young also works in your favour, with over-65s and under 18s gaining automatic free entry to state museums.

Europe’s business elite turn to the BBC

A survey released today has revealed the BBC’s international multimedia news services reach more upscale business users each day in Western Europe than any of its international broadcast news competitors, according to BE Europe 2008, the media survey of Europe’s Business Elite (formerly EBRS).

The survey, which covers 458,000 senior business people, reports that the BBC’s website and BBC World News television reach 57,000 upscale business users each day in Western Europe, outstripping all of their international broadcast news competitors (including Bloomberg, CNBC ,CNN, Euronews, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Sky News and Al Jazeera English). The BBC website also has a larger monthly reach in Western and Central Europe than every broadcast and print news competitor surveyed (including CNN, Forbes, CNBC, Time, Business Week, WSJ, NY Times, Euro News, News Week, National Geographic, Economist, Bloomberg, Sky News, CNN and the FT).

The BBC’s international multimedia news services also ranked higher than broadcast news competitors for being influential (BBC 58,000 vs. 45,000 for its nearest competitor), for being ‘a place they specifically make time to visit’ (BBC 43,000 vs. 18,000 for its nearest competitor), and for providing insights they ‘cannot get elsewhere’ (BBC 36,000 vs. 34,000 for its nearest competitor).

Jeremy Nye, Head of Audience Insight, BBC Global News, says, “Given recent financial turmoil, the BBC’s credentials as the place for trusted news, among Europe’s business elite is more important than ever – and the knowledge that our multiplatform news services are leading the way in Europe within this community is extremely encouraging. We pride ourselves in providing content that is relevant and targeted to multiple audiences and this research has proved that in doing so we are still able to supply the kind of high level news and in-depth analysis that business professionals demand.”

BE Europe 2008 is a syndicated survey that measures the media consumption, business decision-making responsibilities and personal profile of Europe’s most influential business executives. Executives qualify for the survey by virtue of working for the region’s largest and most important companies, and by having a senior management role within those companies. Europe’s business elite therefore make decisions on behalf of companies that account for a large proportion of economic activity across the region.

For more details contact bbcworldnewspressoffice@bbc.com

VIRGIN ATLANTIC REDUCES PASSENGER FUEL SURCHARGES

Virgin Atlantic, one of the world’s leading long-haul airlines, today announced that it would be reducing its passenger fuel charges with effect from midnight tomorrow evening (Wednesday 15th October 2008).

The reduction follows the recent, sustained decrease in the price of crude oil.

The charges will be cut by up to £13 per sector depending on the destination and class of cabin. Economy passengers will pay £10 less on shorter sectors and £13 less on longer sectors; Premium Economy passengers will pay £5 less on shorter sectors and £6.50 less on longer sectors.

The new fuel charges will be:

Economy            Premium Economy    Upper Class
Shorter sectors    £68     £83    £98
Longer sectors     £96     £114.50     £133
Longer sectors are London to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Beijing Tokyo, Shanghai, Sydney, Mauritius, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Hong Kong.

For further information please contact the Virgin Atlantic Press Office on 01293 747373 or visitwww.virginatlantic.com

“Our position hasn’t changed. Microsoft has no interest in acquiring Yahoo!; there are no discussions between the companies.”

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 16, 2008 – Microsoft Corp. issued the following statement regarding Yahoo!: