Expert Travel Lawyers At Irwin Mitchell Investigate Illness Reports At Dreams La Romana Resort
Specialist International Personal Injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell are investigating the conditions at the Dreams La Romana resort in the Dominican Republic after a holidaymaker was diagnosed with Shigella following a ten-day stay at the hotel.
Sharon Warner, a restaurant manager from Leigh-on-Sea, travelled to the luxury resort for her first holiday with her partner, Luke Bennett, in January 2015.
However, just a few days into their stay at the four-star resort, Sharon and her partner, Luke, began suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting. They were unable to keep down any fluids and became dehydrated and delirious.
Both Sharon and Luke spent the best part of two days in their hotel room and were able to eat or drink hardly anything. They visited the doctor at the hotel, who provided fluids for dehydration, as well as antibiotics for both of them.
Upon returning to the UK, Sharon continued to suffer from the same symptoms and was visited by her local GP at home as she was too ill to attend the doctor’s surgery. After numerous tests she was diagnosed with Shigella, a serious bacterial infection which can be caused by poor sanitary and cooking conditions.
The couple have instructed the specialist International Personal Injury Team at Irwin Mitchell to investigate their complaints against the hotel after the illness resulted in Sharon losing around half a stone in weight, whilst Luke lost around a stone, as they were unable to eat for most of the acute phase of their illness.
Sharon was forced to take two weeks off work and has since been contacted by Environmental Health officials from Southend Borough Council following the diagnosis of Shigella.
Jatinder Paul, an expert travel lawyer at Irwin Mitchell leading the case, said:
Expert Opinion
“It’s extremely concerning to hear about the illness Sharon and Luke suffered while on holiday at the Dreams La Romana resort.
“They have also said that other holidaymakers were suffering with similar symptoms at the hotel and we would like to hear from the others affected by the conditions they experienced at the resort. It is even more worrying that this is not the first time that we have been instructed by holidaymakers who have suffered gastric illness at this resort as we continue to represent a family who stayed there last summer.
“This was supposed to be a relaxing holiday at a luxury resort for Sharon and Luke, but they have been left upset and angry that they were unable to fully enjoy the facilities the resort offered because of their illness.
“We hope TUI UK Limited will help us with our investigations into the cause of Sharon and Luke’s illness.” Jatinder Paul - Partner
Sharon, 39, said: “This was our first holiday together as a couple and it was supposed to be a memorable one, however it was completely overshadowed by the illness that we suffered and we will now remember it for all the wrong reasons.
“We were not able to make the most of our holiday and ended up spending a lot of time cooped up in our hotel room. The fact that my symptoms continued after we arrived back into the UK was even more concerning especially after being diagnosed with Shigella. I had no idea what it was or whether it could be treated.
“I have continued to suffer from diarrhoea and sickness and I have been forced to take time off work. Luke and I saved up for a long time to pay for the holiday. We were really looking forward to the holiday and for us to spend some quality time together, but the holiday was ruined. We hope that our legal team at Irwin Mitchell will get to the bottom of what caused our illness and ensure that other people don’t suffer the same experience as us.”