£2,000 in Damages Secured for Illness Abroad
Our expert Holiday Illness team recently took instruction for a client after their luxury Christmas holiday to Mexico was ruined by food poisoning.
The Claimant booked a two week holiday at the Riu Palace Peninsula Hotel in Mexico back in December 2013. The holiday was booked as an all-inclusive package deal with popular tour operator TUI.
Smell of sewage around hotel
According to our client, upon arrival at the hotel it was apparent that hygiene standards at the hotel were not to an acceptable standard.
Our client reports a strong smell of sewage around the hotel grounds and claims that the bathroom in their hotel room was dirty and in a poor state of repair. The Claimant added that water from the taps was green in colour and had a sewage type smell coming from them.
Poor food hygiene in hotel restaurant
The Claimant similarly reports that food hygiene standards and practices at the hotel restaurant were also very poor. According to our client, hot food was often added to trays of cooler food of the same type and certain dishes appeared to be reheated. They added that restaurant staff did not appear to monitor the temperature of the food at any time.
The Claimant reports that restaurant staff did not wear gloves when handling food. Food was also left uncovered for prolonged periods of time, exposed to the wild birds seen around the eating areas. Furthermore, the drinks served appeared to be watered down and contained ice which was believed to have been made with local tap water.
Christmas ruined
Unfortunately on Christmas Day, around a week into the holiday, our client began to feel unwell. They suffered with various symptoms associated with food poisoning, including:
• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal cramps
• Fatigue
• Nausea
Prior to experiencing their symptoms, our client had not eaten or drank anywhere else other than at the various restaurants within the hotel complex. With this in mind, along with the extremely poor food and hygiene standards at the Rui Palace Peninsula, our client avers their symptoms were a result of eating the food at the hotel.
The Claimant reports that TUI’s holiday representative at the Rui Palace Peninsula was only available in the mornings. As a result, they self-medicated with Imodium and other medication purchased from a local pharmacy.
Outcome
Liability was admitted by TUI and an out of court settlement was agreed on.
On this occasion, Hampson Hughes Solicitors’ Travel Law team secured a total of £2,000 in Holiday Illness Compensation for our client.
Commenting on their experience with Hampson Hughes, the Claimant added:
“Hampson Hughes solicitors were helpful & friendly throughout my claim process. They kept me fully informed at each stage. Thank you!”
Holiday illness claims – expert advice
If you believe that your holiday illness symptoms are linked to poor hygiene standards within your package deal hotel, you may be entitled to holiday illness compensation. There are certain steps that you could take in support of your claim:
• Note all important dates
• Report any hygiene issues to your holiday rep
• Document any suspected poor hygiene (e.g. photo, video)
For further information on holiday sickness compensation, please take a look at our ‘Package Holiday Claims’ page.
Call our expert team of travel law solicitors today for FREE legal advice. Whatever your experience with holiday sickness, we may be able to help. Call 0800 888 6 888 or email .
