Tag: TUI UK

Holiday Injury Leaves Toddler Brain Damaged

Stanley Birch was on a luxury holiday with his parents at a five star resort in Bodrum, Turkey when the holiday injury took place in 2014.

Holiday injury

Stanley was lying on a sunbed when a heavy speaker fell off a nearby balcony, falling 15 meters before landing on the two year old’s head. His parent’s feared he may be dead, as he lay motionless in a pool of blood by the pool.

A doctor staying at the hotel, the Yasmin Resort in Turgutreis, picked him up and he was rushed to a nearby hospital. Staff at the Bodrum Hospital operated on Stanley for over three hours.

Severe brain damage

The two year old was left with severe brain damage after surgeons found an epidural haematoma and were required to drain excess blood off his brain. Stanley also needed 20 staples to his head and ten stiches to his face following the incident.

Now six, Stanley’s development has been affected and his parent’s say he suffers with behavioural issues as a result of his injuries. He has to attend regular monthly check ups and his brain development is closely monitored.

Holiday injury compensation from TUI

Stanley and his family are potentially now looking at a potential payout of hundreds of thousands of pounds in personal injury compensation from holiday tour operator, TUI.

Stanley’s mother, Amy, said:

‘It was horrible.

‘Stanley had just woken up, and we were by the pool a few metres from him. Then I heard this bang and everyone was screaming.

‘I turned round and saw him lying still. He was off the sun lounger, which was completely smashed. I thought he was dead.

‘He wasn’t crying, I knew something was wrong because I knew he should be crying.

‘The ambulance came and he was in and out of consciousness when they got him to the hospital.

‘He was in there for three hours where they discovered he had suffered a tear to his main artery.’

His father, Mitchell, added:

‘He is happy and doing well, and we are lucky he is alive. But no-one knows for sure if he will develop 100 percent as he should have.

‘It is very stressful thinking how what happened on that day could still change his life now.’

Thomson accepted liability last year, but it is unlikely Stanley will receive any compensation until he is at least 18. This is because professionals won’t know exactly what effect his injuries will have until he comes to key moments in his life, such as school and exams.

TUI’s response

A spokeswoman for Thomson and First Choice said:

‘We can confirm that an incident took place at the Yasmin Resort in Bodrum on 12th June 2014 and as a result a child was taken to hospital.

‘Our resort team offered every possible support and assistance at the time of and in the aftermath of the incident, conducting a full investigation to understand what happened.

‘Our Welfare Team based in the UK were also in direct contact with the customers and continued to offer the necessary support.

‘As this case is now subject to legal proceedings it would be inappropriate to comment further.’

Holiday injury claims – expert advice

Holiday injury compensation may be available where your non-fault injury is the result of professional negligence at any stage of your package holiday. This also includes negligence on behalf of service providers working in conjunction with your tour operator.

If you believe that your tour operator could have taken reasonable steps towards preventing your injury, contact us today on 0800 888 6888 or email . Hampson Hughes Solicitors’ dedicated team of holiday injury solicitors could help you to secure maximum personal injury compensation.

Source: Metro

Woman Awarded Over £4,000 Holiday Illness Compensation

A woman from Oldham has received over £4,000 in holiday illness compensation after she contracted Salmonella while in Cuba.

Holiday illness – Salmonella

Deborah Beswick and her husband travelled to the 4* Tryp Cayo Coco resort in Cuba for a two week holiday in September 2015. However after just a week at the resort, Mrs Beswick was struck with severe holiday illness. Her symptoms included vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.

Upon the couple’s return to the UK, Mrs Beswick’s holiday illness symptoms worsened. She attended an out-of-hours GP at Manchester Royal Hospital, as well as visiting her own GP, where tests revealed that she had contracted Salmonella food poisoning. Doctor’s warned Mrs Beswick that her symptoms are not due to subside until July 2017, meaning that her ‘holiday illness’ will have lasted a total of 22 months.

‘Alarming’ food and hygiene standards

Mrs Beswick avers that her holiday illness symptoms were a direct result of the ‘alarming’ food and hygiene standards and practises she witnessed at the Tryp Cayo Coco.

According to Mrs Beswick, during her stay at the 4* resort she witnessed:

• Food was left uncovered and exposed to flies
• Birds flying around the buffet restaurant
• Food that appeared to have been reheated
• Food that was reused for several meals throughout the day
• Food that was left for prolonged periods of time at room temperature

Payout

After seeking legal advice, Mrs Beswick was awarded a total of £4,700 in holiday illness compensation from tour operator Thomas Cook.

Holiday illness compensation claims – expert advice

If you believe that your holiday sickness 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)

Whatever your experience with holiday illness, we may be able to help. Call our expert team of travel law solicitors today for a FREE no-obligation consultation. Call 0800 888 6 888 or email .

For further information on holiday illness compensation, please see our ‘Package Holiday Claims’ page.

Source: Oldham Evening Chronicle

TUI Accused of Failings after Sousse Terrorist Attack

Image of empty beach in Sousse after Sousse terror attack

Lawyers for the families of Britons who lost their lives during the 2015 Sousse terrorist attack are accusing travel company TUI of failing their customers by ‘practically hiding’ Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) terror warnings from tourists.

Sousse Terror Attack

On 26 June 2015, hundreds of tourists were sunbathing on a private beach outside the Imperial Marhaba hotel in Sousse, Tunisia, when terrorist Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire with a Kalashnikov assault rifle. The 23-year-old electrical engineering student killed a total of 38 tourists, 30 of whom were British, in a spree that lasted around 40 minutes. Tunisian authorities shot Rezgui dead as he ran from the hotel.

The attack in Sousse came only three months after Islamist militants attacked the Bardo National Museum in Tunis, the Tunisian capital, killing 21 people.

TUI Accused of Hiding Terror Warnings

All 30 of the Britons who lost their lives in the Sousse terrorist attack booked their holiday through travel company TUI, which also owns Thomson holidays.

According to papers submitted in advance of the inquests resuming this week, lawyers for 20 of the families are to accuse TUI of “practically hiding and keeping out of the limelight” FCO warnings about terrorism in Tunisia.

Furthermore, the travel firm is also said to have sold travel insurance that excluded cancellation cover caused by terrorism risks to customers.

According to submissions by the families, TUI is said to have actively discouraged cancellation by charging those who decided to cancel due to learning of terrorist activities/risks, up to the full cost of their holiday.

Response from TUI

According to the documents, TUI is to argue that the measures it put in place at the time for forwarding travel advice were appropriate and that the Sousse attack changed the climate, to which they responded accordingly.

A TUI spokeswoman has said:

“TUI UK is taking a full and active role in the inquests into the deaths of the 30 British nationals killed during the terrorist attack in Sousse, Tunisia in June 2015.

“Like others, we want to understand the specific circumstances that led to this atrocity. We are cooperating with the coroner and will continue to do so, in order to help ensure that the tragic deaths of those killed can be thoroughly investigated, the relevant facts determined and any lessons learned. With the inquests about to be heard, we consider that it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.”

Source: Guardian

Compensation Secured for Food Poisoning Abroad

Image of empty beach in Dominican Republic

Our team of expert Travel Law solicitors were recently instructed by a client after their luxury holiday to the Dominican Republic was ruined by holiday illness.

Jula Shinks booked a two week stay at the 5* ClubHotel Riu Merengue, in the Dominican Republic in January 2016. The holiday was booked as an all-inclusive package deal through tour operator TUI UK.

Holiday illness symptoms

Unfortunately, just a few days into her luxury holiday Ms Jinks began to feel unwell. Our client suffered with various symptoms relating to food poisoning, including:

• Severe Diarrhoea
• Abdominal cramps
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Raised Temperature

Poor food hygiene levels

As the holiday was all-inclusive, all meals and drinks throughout Ms Jinks’ holiday at the ClubHotel Riu Merengue were paid upon booking and provided by the hotel.

However, according to our Ms Jinks, the hygiene at the hotel was very poor, particularly in relation to the food. Our client reports:

• A buffet style food service that was often luke-warm in temperature
• Members of the catering team were not seen to be monitoring the temperature of the food
• Staff members were not wearing gloves when serving the food
• Food was left uncovered
• A high volume of flies and insects could be seen around the eating area
• The food was of poor quality
• The meat and fish products were served partially cooked
• The food appeared to be reheated
• Hot food was often added to trays of cooler food of the same type
• The crockery provided was dirty
• Drinks tasted as though they had been watered down
• It was suspected that ice served in drinks was made with local tap water

With the above factors in mind, Ms Jinks avers that her symptoms were directly caused by the poor levels of food hygiene standards at the 5* ClubHotel Riu Merengue.

Our team of dedicated solicitors secured a total of £2,150 in holiday illness compensation.

Ms Jinks commented following the outcome:

“Very efficient and approachable company. I was kept updated all throughout my claim.”

Shiamli Mehta-Cronie, Head of Travel Law here at Hampson Hughes added:

“These cases signify another triumph in the battle against the cost cutting exercises of tour operators. It is simply not acceptable to allow them to continue to take money from hard working holidaymakers and provide them with sub-standard hygiene practices in return.

“If you have been struck down by illness while on a package holiday, call us today for your free no obligation consultation.”

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 illness compensation, please see our ‘Package Holiday Claims’ page.

To discover how much compensation you could be entitled to, call our expert team of travel law solicitors today for instant answers. Whatever your experience with holiday sickness, we may be able to help. We offer you a FREE no-obligation consultation. Call 0800 888 6 888 or email .

£2,200 Awarded for Holiday Illness in Gran Canaria

Image of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria

Our team of Holiday Illness specialists recently secured compensation for a client who suffered severe gastric illness in Gran Canaria, Spain, due to the poor food hygiene standards at their hotel.

Our client booked a nine day stay at the 4* Hotel Riu Palace in the Maspalomas resort of Gran Canaria. The holiday was booked as an all-inclusive package holiday with tour operator Thomas Cook.

Holiday illness symptoms

As the holiday was an all-inclusive package deal, all food and drink throughout our client’s stay was provided by, and consumed within, the hotel. However, just a few days into their holiday, the Claimant began to feel unwell. They experienced various symptoms, including:

• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal cramps
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Raised Temperature

Hotel restaurant – poor food hygiene

Our client’s symptoms developed after they had eaten the food provided by the hotel. As a result, the Claimant avers that their symptoms were brought on by the poor food hygiene standards within the restaurant of the Hotel Riu Palace.

On the occasions that our client ate at the restaurant, they witnessed numerous breaches of hygiene and safety. According to the claimant:

• A buffet style food service that was often tepid in temperature and was left uncovered
• High volume of wild birds, insects and wasps around the eating areas
• The food was of poor quality
• The meat and fish products were served partially cooked and the food appeared to be reheated
• At no point did our client witness members of the catering team monitoring the food temperature
• Hot food was added to trays of cooler food of the same type
• Crockery was dirty and staff members were not wearing gloves when serving/handling the food
• Drinks were watered down and it was suspected that ice was made out of local tap water

Loss of enjoyment

As a direct result of their symptoms, our client was unable to thoroughly enjoy their stay at the Riu Palace. Day to day activities such as sight seeing and swimming were restricted, as due to the nature of our client’s symptoms, they required to be in close proximity to a toilet at all times. Furthermore, our client was unable to properly take advantage of, and enjoy, the all-experience package that they had paid for.

Unfortunately, there was no doctor on hand at the hotel and as a result, our client was required to self-medicate.

The claimant’s symptoms lasted a total of fourteen days, and due to the severity of their illness, our client was required to delay his return to the UK by an extra two days.

Almost a year after the holiday, the claimant still suffers with occasion stomach cramps.

Our Travel Law Solicitors managed to secure a total of £2,200 in holiday illness compensation on this occasion.

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 see our ‘Package Holiday Claims’ page.

To discover how much compensation you could be entitled to, call our expert team of travel law solicitors today for instant answers. Whatever your experience with holiday sickness, we may be able to help. We offer you a FREE no-obligation consultation. Call 0800 888 6 888 or email .

£4,000 in Compensation Awarded to Mother & Son

Image of a beach in Bulgaria

Our dedicated travel law solicitors were recently instructed by a mother, on behalf of herself and her young son, after they were both struck with holiday illness during their Bulgarian getaway.

Two week family holiday ruined

Our client booked an all-inclusive package holiday to Bulgaria, through tour operators Thomas Cook, at the end of June 2015.

However their two week family holiday to the 3* Laguna Park Hotel did not go as planned, due to the mother of the group – and her son – contracting a severe bout of gastric illness. Both report suffering with severe diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting. They also complained of a raised temperature and fatigue.

As a result of their symptoms, which lasted a fortnight, our clients were unable to enjoy their time in Bulgaria. Day to day activities such as sight seeing, excursions and swimming were also restricted throughout the family’s stay at the Laguna Park Hotel.

Poor hygiene standards in hotel

Due to the board type of our client’s holiday (all-inclusive) all food and drink throughout their stay was provided by and consumed within the hotel. Unfortunately according to our client, the standards of food hygiene within the hotel restaurant were not to an acceptable standard. Our client reports:

Buffet Style food service which was often tepid in temperature and left uncovered for extended periods of time.
• Food appeared to be reheated and partially cooked
• Certain food were being recycled for use in other meals
• Hot food was being added to trays containing cooler food of the same type
• Drinks served tasted as if they were watered down
• Certain foods were being recycled for use in other meals
• Ice in drinks which was believed to be made from local tap water

Separately, the standards of general cleanliness throughout the hotel and its grounds were also poor. According to the Claimant:

There was a smell of sewage around the hotel grounds
• It appeared as though raw sewage was being sprayed on hotel greenery
• The pool water and pool edges were dirty
• Our client did not witness the pool being tested for chlorine or Ph levels

The Claimant avers that both her and her son’s symptoms were directly caused by eating at the hotel restaurant, she adds that it was often ‘dirty’ and that a high volume of flies, birds and insects could be seen around the eating areas.

Our Travel Law solicitors managed to secure a total of £2,00 EACH for our clients on this occasion.

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 see our ‘Package Holiday Claims’ page.

To discover how much compensation you could be entitled to, call our expert team of travel law solicitors today for instant answers. Whatever your experience with holiday sickness, we may be able to help. We offer you a FREE no-obligation consultation. Call 0800 888 6 888 or email .

£2,300 Secured for Holiday Illness in Egypt

Image of an Egyptian beach at sunset

Our expert team of travel law solicitors recently secured a total of £2,300 in holiday illness compensation for a client who suffered a severe gastric illness while on holiday in Egypt.

Anthony Harding booked a two week stay at the 5* Sunrise Select Royal Makadi in the Makadi Bay resort of Egypt.

The excursion was booked as an all-inclusive package holiday through tour operators Thomas Cook, meaning that all food and drink was provided by and consumed within the hotel.

Poor food hygiene standards

Unfortunately Mr Harding began to feel unwell just a few days into his holiday. He suffered with vomiting, abdominal cramps, nausea and fatigue – symptoms which are client avers were caused directly by the poor food hygiene standards at the hotel.

When eating at the hotel restaurant, Mr Harding noted that the food hygiene standards were not to an acceptable standard. Our client reports:

• A buffet Style food service which was often tepid in temperature and left uncovered for extended periods of time
• A lot of flies around the eating area
• Food appeared to be reheated
• Certain foods were being recycled for use in other meals
• Members of the catering staff were not wearing gloves when handling the food
• Hot food was being added to trays containing cooler food of the same type
• Drinks served tasted as if they were watered down
• Ice was served in drinks, which was believed to be made from local tap water

Furthermore, Mr Harding reports that hotel staff advised pipes had not been cleaned and this was making people ill.

Symptoms

Our client’s symptoms were so severe that he sought medical attention from the hotel doctor, who provided him with medication and administered Mr Harding with fluids in the form of an IV drip.

Mr Harding’s symptoms lasted around two weeks and as a result, he was unable to enjoy his time in Egypt. Every day holiday activities such as swimming and sight seeing were restricted as our client needed to be near a toilet at all times.

We managed to secure a total of £2,300 in compensation for Mr Harding on this occasion.

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 see our ‘Package Holiday Claims’ page.

To discover how much compensation you could be entitled to, call our expert team of travel law solicitors today for instant answers. Whatever your experience with holiday sickness, we may be able to help. We offer you a FREE no-obligation consultation. Call 0800 888 6 888 or email .

Luxury Christmas Holiday Ruined by Illness

Image of an empty caribbean beach on Saona island, Dominican Republic

We recently took instruction from a client whose luxury Christmas holiday to the Dominican Republic was ruined when they contracted holiday illness.

Christmas getaway ruined

Our client booked to stay at the Grand Bahia Principe El Portillo in the Dominican Republic over the Christmas period in 2013. Unfortunately just a few days into their stay at the 3* hotel, our client started to suffer with various symptoms related to food poisoning.

The claimant reports suffering with diarrhoea; abdominal cramps; vomiting; nausea and fatigue.

Poor food hygiene standards

As the holiday was booked as an all-inclusive package deal, all of the food and drink consumed by our client was provided by the hotel.

The claimant avers that their illness was was directly caused by the food provided by the Grand Bahia Principe El Portillo. According to our client, food hygiene standards at the on site restaurant and surrounding eating areas was very poor. Our client reports:

• Buffet Style food service which was often tepid in temperature and left uncovered for extended periods of time.
• A large quanitity of flies around the eating area
• Food appeared to be reheated and partially cooked
• Certain foods were being recycled for reuse in other meals
• Members of the catering staff were not wearing gloves when handling the food products
• Hot food was often added to trays containing cooler food of the same type.
• Drinks served tasted as if they were watered down
• Ice in drinks which was believed to be made from local tap water

Furthermore, our client complained of several hygiene issues not related to the restaurant, including:

• A strong smell of sewage around the hotel grounds
• The rooms were not properly or regularly cleaned
• The bed sheets were dirty and not changed regularly

On this occasion, we managed to secure a total of £2,500 in compensation for our client.

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 see our ‘Package Holiday Claims’ page.

To discover how much compensation you could be entitled to, call our expert team of travel law solicitors today for instant answers. Whatever your experience with holiday sickness, we may be able to help. We offer you a FREE no-obligation consultation. Call 0800 888 6 888 or email .

Over £3,000 in Damages Secured for Illness Abroad

Image of a beach in Side, Turkey

Our team of dedicated Travel Law solicitors recently took instruction from a client whose luxury holiday to Turkey was ruined by holiday illness.

Mr Field booked a two week stay at the Barut Arum Hotel in Side, Turkey with tour operators TUI UK LTD in September 2015.

Poor Food Hygiene Standards

Unfortunately, within the first few days of his stay at the 4* hotel, Mr Field noticed that food hygiene standards were not to an acceptable standard.

Our client reports:

• Buffet Style food service which was often tepid in temperature and left uncovered for extended periods of time.
• A lot of flies around the eating area
• Food appeared to be reheated
• Certain food were being recycled for use in other meals
• Members of the catering staff were not wearing gloves when handling the food products
• Hot food was being added to trays containing cooler food of the same type.
• Drinks served tasted as if they were watered down
• Ice in drinks which were believed to be made from local tap water

As Mr Field had booked the holiday as an all-inclusive package deal, he had paid in advance for the hotel to provide his daily meals. However, after a few occasions of eating here, our client began to feel unwell.

Illness Abroad

Mr Field complained of suffering symptoms including diarrhoea; stomach pains and vomiting, as well as nausea and fatigue.

Whilst in Turkey, our client sought medical attention from the hotel doctor and was taken to hospital where he was administered with an intravenous drip. Mr Field was discharged from hospital the following day.

Our expert Travel Law team managed to secure a total of £3,050 in holiday illness compensation for Mr Field

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 compensation for illness abroad, please take a look at our ‘Package Holiday Claims’ page.

To discover how much compensation you could be entitled to, call our expert team of travel law solicitors today for instant answers. Whatever your experience with holiday sickness, we may be able to help. We offer you a FREE no-obligation consultation. Call 0800 888 6 888 or email .

Holiday Ruined by Poor Food Hygiene Standards at Hotel

Image of uncovered buffet food

We recently took instruction from a client who was struck down with holiday illness whilst in Egypt.

4* Magic Life Sharm

Our client, Susan, stayed at the 4* Magic Life Sharm in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt for 7 days in October 2015. The holiday was booked as an all-inclusive package deal with tour operator TUI UK.

As Susan had opted for an all-inclusive stay, the price of all of her meals and drinks were included when booking and were provided by the hotel.

However when Susan attended the restaurant for her first meal, she noticed that hygiene standards were not to an appropriate standard. Our client reports:

• Buffet style food service which was tepid in temperature
• A high number of flies and insects around the eating area
• Meat and fish products were partially cooked and appeared to be reheated
• Certain foods were often recycled for use in other meals
• The temperature of the buffet food was not monitored by staff
• Hot food was added to trays containing cooler food of the same type

Aside from the food, Susan noted that the drinks served to hotel guests appeared to be watered down and contained ice cubes, which she suspects were made using local tap water.

Severe Gastric Illness

Unfortunately our client contracted a severe gastric illness just a few days after eating at the hotel restaurant for the first time. Susan complained of suffering with symptoms including severe diarrhoea, stomach pains and vomiting, as well as feeling nauseous.

Susan’s symptoms lasted for a total of 12 days. Day to day activities were restricted whilst away, and this did not improve upon our client’s return to the UK. Overall, Susan’s week long holiday to Egypt was completely ruined.

Our team of expert Travel Law solicitors secured a total of £2,000 compensation for Susan on this occasion.

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.

To discover how much compensation you could be entitled to, call our expert team of travel law solicitors today for instant answers. Whatever your experience with holiday sickness, we may be able to help. Whatever your experience with holiday sickness, we may be able to help. We offer you a FREE no-obligation consultation. Call 0800 888 6 888 or email .