While an injury can occur anywhere, medical treatment can be particularly expensive in some countries. Whether you injure yourself in the UK or the USA can have a huge impact on the costs. In many countries you will need to pay additional expenses to cover your treatment.

Which countries have the most expensive healthcare systems?

Injuries usually happen suddenly and unexpectedly. Not only do you have to deal with the pain you are in, but now you also have to think about where to get treated. Not being able to afford medical costs can be a nightmare.

A study by medical negligence claim specialists, National Accident Helpline, analysed injury claims and medical costs around the world. The aim was to determine where medical treatment is the costliest. According to the research by the NAH, the USA is the most expensive country in the world when it comes to treating a broken leg. The average costs are “£25,550, which is 7.5 times more expensive than the UK, at £3,363”, the study found. If you happen to be in Spain while you break your leg, you may have to pay an average of £15,000, while medical professionals in Singapore will charge you about £10,400.

If you break your leg in the UAE, Argentina or India, you won’t have to pay quite as much, but medical treatment might still cost you about £2,000 to £2,500.

Personal injury cases around the world

Unfortunately, the USA is not only known for extremely high medical costs, but also has a remarkably high number of personal injury cases. A personal injury claim is filed when someone else has caused you an accident or injury. About 330,000 searches are carried out per month relating to personal injury claims. Many searches also occur in the UK (about 104,250 per month). However, not many people find it necessary to search for this topic in Portugal or Switzerland. On average personal injury claims are only searched here about 150 times per month.

What classes as a personal injury?

There are a few things that could qualify as a personal injury claim:

– Car accidents

– Medical negligence

– Injuries in the workplace

– Injuries in a public place, for example by slipping or tripping

– Accidents in the home

– Criminal offences

– Accidents while on holiday

Unfortunately, some cases can be long-lasting or even life changing. If an injury like this occurs, it can be important to file a claim as soon as possible. While the NHS is not perfect, it is one of the best free medical systems worldwide. If you do have an accident, the NHS provides a list of available services in the UK that you can take advantage of.