Expert Travel Lawyers Investigating Illness At Gaia Royal Hotel

A family-of-five whose holiday to Greece was ruined when one of them fell ill with Legionnaires’  disease and spent ten days recovering in hospital after their return has instructed expert travel illness lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the cause of their problems at a hotel on the Greek island of Kos.

Colin Duggan,43, his wife Carol, 40, and their children Jamie, Katie and Gabriella booked a week-long stay at the Gaia Royal Hotel through Loveholidays.com at the end of July 2015.

Colin began to suffer flu-like symptoms, chest pains, difficulty breathing and severe fatigue. After seeking treatment from his GP and the symptoms getting progressively worse he was advised to attend his local A & Department at  Aintree University Hospital, where tests confirmed he was suffering with Legionnaires’ disease.

Legionnaires’ disease is a serious lung infection caused by Legionella bacteria and usually develops after breathing in small droplets of contaminated water.

Colin, from Walton, was treated with antibiotics and spent over ten days in hospital recovering. He has been forced to take time off work from his job as a manager of a scaffolding firm and Carol has also taken time off work to help him recover.

Colin was told by doctors at the hospital that the whole of his left lung was infected and that an older person may not have survived the disease.

The family has now instructed expert lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the problems they suffered at the Gaia Royal Hotel and to help them find answers about what caused Colin to develop Legionnaires’ disease.

The couple have reported that the room they stayed in was not of the standard they expected when booking the holiday and they asked to move. They said the air conditioning unit in their second room appeared quite old and was not functioning correctly.

Expert Opinion

“Legionnaires’ disease is extremely serious and can in some cases, be fatal. The conditions reported by Colin and Carol at the hotel, particularly the air conditioning unit in their room, are very concerning and we have now begun our own investigations into what may have caused Colin’s illness.

“We would urge anyone who stayed at the hotel over the summer who suffered illness to contact us as they may be able to help us with our inquiries.

“The family’s holiday was completely ruined by the illness Colin suffered in Greece and the impact it has had on them since their return. We are now working to provide them with the answers they deserve about what caused this terrible illness.” Clare Pearson - Legal Executive & Associate

Colin has not yet returned to work and has lost a stone in weight as a result of contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

He said: “We were all looking forward to a relaxing break away in Greece as a family and when I started to feel unwell I thought I was suffering with the flu. When my symptoms hadn’t cleared and seemed to be getting worse rather than better I saw my GP and from there I was quickly admitted to hospital where I was told I was suffering with Legionnaires’ disease. It was an extremely frightening experience and the very last thing I expected when I booked the holiday.

“The illness continues to have an impact on me as I’ve been off work ever since and my wife has had to take time off to care for me and help me recover. I now feel as though I need another holiday to get over the one I had in July.

“We’ve instructed Irwin Mitchell to investigate the cause of my illness because we want answers about how I came to fall so ill.”