Husband Pursuing Legal Action After Mother-Of-Two Suffered Brain And Spinal Injuries In Canary Islands Incident

The husband of a Macclesfield woman who suffered life-changing injuries after falling ten feet onto concrete at a Canary Islands holiday resort last year has spoken of his frustration that the tour operator involved is not helping him to support her recovery.

Wendy Brown, 54, from Bollington, was placed in an induced coma by medical experts in Tenerife after suffering serious brain and spinal injuries in the fall, which happened on an unguarded staircase as she returned to her room with husband Gary, 54, at the La Palma & Teneguia Princess Hotel on January 3rd 2018.

Now back in the UK and at home after receiving treatment at Salford Royal Hospital as well as inpatient rehabilitation at the Devonshire Centre in Stockport , the mother-of-two’s injuries remain severe and she  needs an extensive rehabilitation programme to aid her recovery. 

While Wendy’s family have established an online fundraising page to support her, they have also instructed Irwin Mitchell’s specialist International Serious Injury team to investigate what happened during the holiday booked with TUI UK Ltd and to pursue a claim for damages.

Now, the legal team have issued court proceedings and have joined with Wendy’s husband, Gary Brown, to express their disappointment that TUI UK have so far failed to engage with them on the matter. They have also revealed how they remain determined to help her gain access to the vital rehabilitation she requires.

Cheryl Palmer-Hughes, the legal expert at Irwin Mitchell who is acting for the family, said: 

Expert Opinion

“This is a truly awful case and Wendy and her husband are understandably devastated by what happened during the holiday at the start of last year.

“While we are working hard to ensure that Wendy gets access to vital financial support to assist with her recovery and rehabilitation, this incident has placed her family in a hugely difficult situation.

“We have so far been hugely disappointed in the failure of the tour operator to engage with our requests for funding for rehabilitation and are now preparing to go to court. We remain absolutely focused on ensuring our client gets the support she requires.” Cheryl Palmer-Hughes - Partner and Head of our International Serious Injury Desk

Wendy and Gary travelled to La Palma & Teneguia Princess Hotel on December 31st 2017 and were only three days into their holiday when the incident occurred.

Gary recalls: “We were walking back to the hotel room and Wendy was slightly behind me when she fell. As there were no wall or railings, she plummeted onto the concrete below.

“She was initially unconscious and I performed CPR before she was taken to La Palma Hospital and placed in an induced coma. To see her in such a condition was just awful and I have still not come to terms with the incident.”

Wendy underwent brain surgery and also had metalwork fitted to stabilise her spine while she was still in Tenerife. She continues to require significant rehabilitation support as her injuries still have a devastating impact on hers and Gary’s day to day lives.

Gary added: “It has been an incredibly difficult time and we have all been bowled over by the support we have already received from family and friends following the incident. 

“At the moment we simply do not know what the future holds, so we are just doing everything we can to ensure that Wendy will be able to get access to the best levels of support as she begins her road to recovery.

“We’re all just very frustrated that TUI will not co-operate with us on this matter, as time is undoubtedly of the essence when it comes to Wendy getting the support she needs.”

To donate funds visit the family’s GoFundMe page here: https://www.gofundme.com/appeal-for-additional-funds-for-wendy-snelson. 

Read about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in international personal injury cases.