New York is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. Over 60 million people visit New York City alone each year. There’s activity around every corner for every type of traveler.

You can plan every aspect of your trip in detail, but an unexpected accident can still happen. It’s an avoidable part of life that everyone would rather do without, but sometimes that just isn’t possible. Accidents are even more upsetting when they happen away from home.

Whether you travel to Hudson, New York or the big city of NYC, if you’re injured it’s important to take certain actions so your trip doesn’t become a huge regret.

Seek Medical Attention

With some injuries, like those suffered in a car accident, it’s evident that medical attention is needed. But other times injuries aren’t immediately apparent. If you fail to get medical attention right away it can make matters much worse.

Another aspect to keep in mind is the liability. If you suffer a personal injury on your New York vacation and don’t get medical attention it makes getting compensation much more difficult. The at-fault party can argue that the injury was sustained in another way at another time. Getting medical attention right away helps document how the injury occurred and when.

Contact a Lawyer

Many people don’t like the idea of contacting a lawyer, but when you’ve been injured it’s in your best interest. The other party may have their own lawyer or an insurance company with a number of experienced lawyers.

Find a personal injury law firm in New York. Even if you have a lawyer you trust back home, they probably aren’t licensed to practice in New York and don’t understand the state laws as well as a local legal team. It’s also important to understand that lawyers specialize in different practices. A personal injury lawyer is the best option because they know the process for requesting fair compensation for both short-term and long-term recovery.

Contact Your Insurance Company

Any time you are injured and need medical treatment you’ll need to make your insurance company aware of the situation. In almost all cases, emergency room care is covered whether or not you’re a New York resident.

However, if you need follow-up care you may need to look for healthcare providers within your network to minimize the costs. Even if you do receive compensation for your injury there’s a good chance you’ll have to pay the upfront costs like co-pays.

Speaking with an insurance agent will give you a better idea of what types of treatments are covered. It will also give you a chance to make sure you can get copies of all the documents your insurance company has on file.

Inform Other Parties

Were you injured in a store, hotel or restaurant? If you’re injured at a place of business inform someone right away if possible. It may not be possible to reach the owner right away, but a manager or supervisor should be notified. The business may already have protocols in place for handling customer injuries.

Document Everything

Hopefully you had proper documentation with you on vacation, which makes things much easier to deal with in the moment. It also makes things easier after the fact.

Starting at the time of the accident, the more you document the better. If possible, write down all the details and take pictures at the scene of the accident. These details could prove to be crucial if you have to take legal action. They can also help medical professionals that are rendering aid.

If you’re injured in an auto accident make sure to get the information of the other driver (and your driver if you were using a transportation service). It’s also important to get the name and contact information of anyone who witnessed the event and any police officers that responded to the accident.

If you’re one of the millions of people to visit New York this year an injury is a souvenir you don’t want to take home. Taking the steps above can help ensure you don’t continue to suffer long after the trip is over.