Family Including 12-Year-Old Girl Left Severely Dehydrated After Suffering Gastroenteritis

Specialist international personal injury lawyers representing a family-of-four who have commenced legal action against tour operator Thomas Cook after they all fell ill with gastroenteritis during a luxury holiday to Egypt have called on the company to settle the last remaining case.

David and Tracy Wright and daughters Chloe, 16, and Danielle, 12, all suffered symptoms including diarrhoea, nausea, dehydration and agonising abdominal pain.

The family instructed expert international personal injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell after their holiday was ruined by their illness. Their legal team has already secured settlements for Tracy, Danielle and Chloe, but the tour operator is refusing to agree a fair settlement for David’s illness, despite admitting liability for the claims subject to proof that the illnesses were caused by the health and hygiene standards at the resort.

The Wrights, from Sheldon, Birmingham, had booked the trip, from August 25 to September 5, 2013, to Le Royal Holiday Resort as a special treat during the summer holidays and were a few days into the two-week break when they started to feel unwell.

David, 51, was already concerned about hygiene at the one-year-old complex after spotting soiled sun loungers next to the hotel pool, discoloured water in one of the swimming pools and, on one occasion, being served drinks in filthy glasses.

But despite being cautious, it was not long before his entire family started suffering with distressing symptoms and it was not until weeks after the family had returned home that some of them slowly began to recover.

Jatinder Paul, an Associate and expert international personal injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, representing the Wright family, said:

Expert Opinion

“This was far from the luxury, care-free break David and his family hoped for and their distress was only heightened by their concern for each other as one-by-one they all fell ill.

“No holidaymaker expects to fall ill from a serious illness such as gastroenteritis, but David and his family expected a five-star experience at the Le Royal Holiday Resort – which had been open for just a year - and got anything but.

“It’s very disappointing that after settling the cases for three of the family, Thomas Cook, is still dragging its heels as we seek to resolve David’s case. We hope they will work with us to agree a fair settlement without the need for court proceedings.” Jatinder Paul - Partner

David said: “It was just hideous, my main concern was obviously for the girls but Tracy and I were so ill too, it was such hard work.

“It was deeply upsetting seeing how distressed the girls were. It was supposed to be a lovely family holiday where we would all get to spend quality time together away from home life, but instead it was a nightmare.”