£1m Fine For Hot Tub Legionnaires' Disease At JTF Store in Stoke-on-Trent

Lawyers representing the families of victims of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak caused by a hot tub display in a JTF Warehouse retail store in Fenton, in Stoke-on-Trent, say those affected have still not received an apology despite legal civil claims settling and the company being fined £1m today at the Stafford Crown Court.

Irwin Mitchell, a national law firm, was instructed by the families of 17 people affected by the fatal Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in July 2012 caused by a failure to properly maintain a hot tub display feature in their Stoke-on-Trent store. The outbreak led to 21 people becoming seriously ill and three of those sadly lost their lives as a result of their illness. 

JTF Wholesale Limited admitted health and safety breaches on Friday and was today fined £1m. Irwin Mitchell negotiated a significant settlement with the company for the victims in 2015 but the complex criminal prosecution has only just concluded.

Jatinder Paul, an Associate Solicitor and specialist Public Health lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who represented the families and also gave evidence as part of the criminal prosecution, said: 

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“It’s been five years since the outbreak affected so many lives and despite both the civil claims, where liability was admitted, and the criminal trial concluding, the families have still not had a personal apology for what happened to them or their loved ones.

“This was a public display with many people walking past on a daily basis. The fact that so many people became seriously ill was a terrible tragedy and hopefully the families can feel some justice today. The fine sends out a message to others to ensure that lessons are learnt and highlights the huge responsibilities that businesses have when it comes to meeting industry accepted health and safety standards.

“Legionnaires’ disease is preventable with appropriate management of water systems and it is important that all businesses recognise their responsibilities to reduce the risk of outbreaks of the potentially fatal disease.” Jatinder Paul - Partner

If you or a loved one need help making a public health claim and want professional advice, get in touch with Irwin Mitchell's friendly team today.