Irwin Mitchell’s International Personal Injury team helped to secure justice for a group of 138 British tourists after their holidays at the Riu Miramar Hotel in Ozbor, Bulgaria, were ruined by gastric illness in 2006.

The holidaymakers experienced symptoms including diarrhoea, sickness, stomach pains and fever following their stays at the resort. A number of the group continued to suffer with their illness long after returning to the UK.

Tour operator TUI UK Limited agreed to pay compensation totalling £550,000 to our clients for their ruined holidays.

Flooding

Some of the guests at the resort said that they were moved from the hotel when it flooded due to heavy rain, only to be moved back whilst furniture was still outside drying. Holidaymakers have also suggested that after the events the hotel smelt of sewage and described that the swimming pools were not refilled as the water supply was cut off. As a consequence of the water supply, guests also couldn’t flush toilets or wash their hands.

Further problems identified by those staying at the Riu Miramar included undercooked food, food not being served at the correct temperature, cutlery and plates being dirty and cold food being ‘topped up’ with hot food.

When questioned about the illness of a number of guests, the manager of the hotel said that their symptoms were merely down to ‘too much sun and sea’. Furthermore, the tour operator told some tourists that their illness was due to a winter flu bug, despite their trip being in the height of summer.

Karen’s story

Karen Dyson from Manchester stayed at the resort in August 2006 with her husband and son. The family all suffered from gastric illness and Karen continues to suffer with IBS.

Discussing her holiday, Karen said: “I had concerns that some of the chicken dishes I tried were undercooked and there was some dirty cutlery and plates in the restaurant. When the illness started we went to the hotel doctor and he had a queue of people waiting outside to see him. The flood added to the problems and made the hotel dirty with watermarks on the walls.

“We paid a lot of money for our holiday and it was ruined by illness that I still have problems with now, many years on.”

Expert opinion

Elizabeth Tetzner, a Partner in our International Personal Injury team, said: “The situation at the Riu Miramar hotel in 2006 was simply unacceptable. Our clients’ holidays were ruined as a result of the illnesses they suffered.

“To make matters worse, some of our clients have suffered years of pain and distress because of ongoing illness, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The initial illness could and should have been avoided had the appropriate hygiene procedures been adhered to.”

If you've suffered food poisoning on holiday, our personal injury solicitors could help you claim compensation. Visit our Holiday Food Poisoning Claims page for more information.

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