Our specialist International Personal Injury team secured over £3.2 million for more than 1,900 holidaymakers after they fell ill at the Alcudia Pins Hotel, Majorca. A cryptosporidiosis outbreak left a number of the guests with long term symptoms like irritable bowel syndrome.
We successfully acted against tour operator My Travel on behalf of holidaymakers who stayed at the Alcudia Pins Hotel between June and September 2003.
Guests complained about a number of areas, including the:
- Quality of the accommodation
- Attitude of the hotel staff and tour operator representatives
- Cleanliness of the swimming pools
- Poor food hygiene standards
On 23 July 2003, after hundreds of guests had fallen ill with gastric symptoms, a water sample was taken from the hotel’s main swimming pool and tested. The results revealed that the pool was contaminated with cryptosporidium, a waterborne parasite. The swimming pool was closed for two weeks and disinfected but guests continued to fall ill for the rest of the summer season.
More than 400 of our clients were diagnosed with cryptosporidium infections and some needed to visit hospital after developing serious acute symptoms. Many, including children, went on to develop permanent complications including irritable bowel syndrome, which continue to have a significant ongoing effect on their lives.
We recovered over £3.2m in compensation for our clients and the tour operator agreed to cover their legal costs. The highest award for the most seriously ill of our clients was more than £18,000.
We represented Maxine from Ayrshire and her family, who visited the Alcudia Pins Hotel between June and July 2003. Towards the end of the holiday her daughter fell ill with an acute gastric illness, and the rest of the family fell ill with similar symptoms after they returned home.
Maxine was diagnosed with a cryptosporidium infection. Her husband and son both fully recovered within three weeks. However, Maxine and her young daughter both developed irritable bowel syndrome as a direct result of their gastric infections, which is likely to be permanent.
The tour operator initially offered them £500 each in compensation but with our help Maxine’s husband and son received £2,820 and £2,350 respectively. We also secured £15,750 for Maxine’s daughter and £14,350 for Maxine herself. Maxine said: “Thank you for everything you did in fighting our case against Airtours. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
If you've suffered an illness whilst abroad or on holiday, our personal injury solicitors could help you claim compensation. Visit our Holiday Sickness Claims & Illness Compensation page for more information.
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