Uninsured Brit mother and daughter, 19, are stranded in Montenegro hospital with 'life-changing' injuries and facing £40,000 bill after being hit by a car that mounted pavement

By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 14:13, 23 April 2026 | Updated: 14:25, 23 April 2026 An uninsured British mother and her 19-year-old daughter are stranded in a hospital in Montenegro facing a £40,000 bill after a car mounted the pavement and hit them. Helen and Nell Barratt suffered 'life-changing' injuries while on holiday in Budva, including a broken collarbone, spinal fractures and head wounds. Although they originally had travel insurance, it is understood it had expired. Nell's sister Ella said the fundraising target reflects the cost of getting them home, as both would need specialist medical transport.  Ella said her mother and sister had been walking to a local shop last week when a driver left the road and struck them.  'My mum flew backwards into another parked car, hit her head and all her back so she had the impact from the one car and then hit into the other car,' she said. Both were rushed to hospital and are being treated for multiple injuries. Ella said the accident, on April 13, has 'changed their lives completely'.   'My mum and sister have severe, documented life-changing injuries and I am watching them suffer while having to fight for their basic care,' she told Worcester News. An uninsured British mother and her 19-year-old daughter are stranded in a hospital in Montenegro facing a £40,000 bill after a car mounted the pavement and hit them Helen and Nell Barratt suffered 'life-changing' injuries while on holiday in Budva, including a broken collarbone, spinal fractures and head wounds Ella said her mother and sister had been walking to a local shop last week when a driver left the road and struck them Helen and Nell Barrett with oldest daughter Ella (left) before the accident in Montenegro She added that the incident happened just three hours after the pair arrived on vacation. According to the outlet, Nell suffered a broken collarbone and fractures to her vertebrae, while she also has a large open wound on her back.  Helen has a fractured pubic bone, a split lip which is showing signs of infection and 10 head injuries which have required stitches.  The pair have Global Health Insurance Cards, meaning emergency treatment in Montenegro is covered, but they have had to pay for follow-up care. Ella, who lives in neighbouring Serbia, said she has been quoted £40,000 to bring them home as they are immobile and unable to take a commercial flight.  The family have contacted the British Embassy and a local lawyer but a friend set up a Go Fund Me page to try and help. 'It's been an absolute godsend that people actually want to help and they are being so supportive and donating money,' Ella said. 'To get them home would mean absolutely everything as they're both scared and so worried.' In a statement, a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of two British nationals who are hospitalised in Montenegro and are in contact with the local authorities.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.