People travel to Hawaiʻi from all over for both pleasure and business. Some people who live in California make impromptu trips to take advantage of discounted flights. Others may travel from the East Coast of the United States to the middle of the Pacific to pursue their ideal tropical vacation. Parasailing, snorkeling and hiking can all be incredible experiences when visiting Hawaiʻi, but they can all also lead to injury. Plenty of people also get hurt in crashes on the state’s winding roads. Those who end up hurt while on vacation often end up incurring thousands of dollars in expenses. Why is an injury while on vacation often so much more expensive than a similar injury while back home?

Out-of-network medical care

Health insurance companies negotiate specific terms with individual care providers and hospitals. They then offer the best compensation to in-network providers that have reached an agreement with the company. Someone injured in Hawaiʻi who lives in another state will almost always find themselves out of network for their health insurance coverage. They may end up saddled with almost all of their medical costs are sometimes the whole bill. The expenses may grow exponentially if someone requires an extended stay at a hospital or imaging tests. Emergency surgery could also mean suddenly having a five-figure bill due at a local medical facility.

Temporary accommodations

The hotels and condos renting rooms to individuals don’t care whether someone wants to stay in the state to spend a day at the beach or take care of their spouse who has to wait for surgery on their broken femur. It can cost hundreds of dollars a day to secure rooms, especially on short notice when someone gets hurt. There will also be travel and food costs, likely compounded by the fact that people have to extend their time away from work. Trying to handle a personal injury claim for an injury that someone suffered in Hawaiʻi after returning home can also be very challenging. Retaining the services of an in-state lawyer can make it easier for someone to negotiate with insurance providers and/or handle the personal injury process in court without repeatedly traveling back to Hawaiʻi.