What do I do if I’m in a vehicle accident on vacation?

Question

Step 1: Get in touch with local authorities and our 24/7 emergency assistance team.

The first step is to play it safe and reach out to professionals who can help:

1. Call local police and emergency medical services after your vehicle accident. (If you have our Travel On app, you’ll find the numbers for the local authorities in there.)

2. Call our emergency assistance team as soon as you’re able. As a Travelex traveler, you’re not alone if you’re dealing with a stressful situation away from home — our World Travel Protection assistance team is here to help at any time.

If you get injured in an accident, when you call our emergency assistance team you can speak with experienced paramedics and nurses who can help you get the right medical care based on what happened and how you’re feeling after the accident.

Here's how you can contact our travel assistance provider:

Tap the assistance button in our Travel On app.
Call 1-800-555-0870 if you’re inside of the U.S. or Canada.
Call 1-416-977-1803 if you’re outside of the U.S. or Canada.
Email [email protected].

Contact emergency assistance →

Step 2: Get an official document of the incident and save all records.

If you feel well enough to do so, take detailed photos of the accident scene, including damage to the vehicle and surrounding area or other vehicles. Note the time, date, and location of your vehicle accident, along with the names and contact information of any witnesses.

As local authorities assess and assist with your vehicle accident at your vacation destination, retrieve as much paperwork from them as possible. It’ll help document your travel insurance claim when you’re ready to file.

Step 3: Use our emergency assistance provider to make a telehealth appointment or find a nearby medical facility.

Even if you feel fine after the accident, you could still have injuries you’re not aware of. So, it’s important to talk with our 24/7 emergency assistance provider. When you do, they can arrange telehealth care or help you find reliable medical facilities nearby to visit in person.

Our assistance provider, Zurich Travel Assist, has a thoroughly vetted directory of trusted medical facilities worldwide who are ready to help our travelers. Wherever your vehicle accident occurs, they're equipped to swiftly guide you to the nearest and most dependable healthcare providers — because you deserve the right care whenever you need it.

Did you know?

Our assistance provider's care doesn’t stop when we help you find the nearest medical facility. They can also help while you’re getting treated after you’re injured in an accident. From hospital transfers and emergency medical evacuations to prescription assistance and transferring your medical records, our emergency assistance provider can offer support.

Step 4: Hold onto all medical documentation, including reports, records, and receipts.

Just like saving records of your vehicle accident, remember to keep any paperwork you receive from any medical facility you visit to receive care.

Why? We’ll want as much documentation as possible to support your travel insurance claim when you file it — including your treatment details and medical costs.

Have more questions about documentation you should hold onto? Ask our emergency assistance provider when they’re helping coordinate your care. For example, if you schedule a telehealth appointment via our assistance provider, your confirmation and receipts should arrive in your email inbox for safe keeping.

Step 5: Submit a travel insurance claim for any unexpected costs.

If you want to try to get reimbursement for unexpected expenses that came up from your vehicle accident, you can file a Travelex claim. Before filing a claim, check your travel insurance benefits and exclusions and make sure you’re covered for the payments you had to make after your vehicle accident.

If you have questions about your coverage, you can call our claims administrator:

Zurich American Insurance Company

Phone: 1-800-501-4781
Email: [email protected]

Useful claim information for vehicle accidents:

Has your rental car been damaged in the accident?
You’ll need our rental car damage upgrade included in your policy for coverage to apply.
Were you injured in the accident and want to file a claim for your medical bills?
If you have a Travelex policy and need medical care because of your accident, we might be able to reimburse your costs. Also, if the doctor prescribes medication or tells you to buy some, make sure you save your receipts and file a claim with us because we might be able to reimburse those costs, too.

Have all your paperwork together and ready to submit a claim? You can file your claim online or reach our claims administrator at 1-800-501-4781.

Important: Chances are that your health insurance from back home won’t help with bills that come up if you need medical care while you're abroad. That’s where our travel insurance comes into play: it can help take some of the pressure off when it comes to emergency medical and dental expenses. At Travelex, our claims administrator can review your claims for unplanned doctor visits, hospital stays, x-rays, and other unexpected medical expenses, so you can focus on enjoying your trip (not worrying about financial strain).

Ready to learn more from our travel assistance provider?

Zurich Travel Assist is always available to help with both emergency and non-emergency issues — and we’ve put together some guides to help you feel more prepared for the unexpected.

Explore more ways we can help during your trip:

Set up your policy in our Travel On app now!

Easily access your coverage in your pocket — along with 24/7 tap-to-call travel assistance, instant safety notifications, and destination information — when you download our Travel On app.