Hotel Accident Claim

A Birmingham woman has received £35,000 in an out of court settlement after she was scalded in a Portuguese hotel shower.

Margaret Cresswell was on holiday at the Estela Do Vau Apartments in Praia Do Vau, Portugal.

On day 2 of the holiday Mrs Cresswell was using the shower in her hotel room. The taps were not labelled and Mrs Cresswell turned off what she thought was the cold tap but was scalded by very hot water.

Mrs Cresswell then tried to turn off the hot water but was in such pain that she slipped and fell, leaving her exposed to the hot water.

“I lay there screaming and feeling completely helpless for what seemed like an eternity” she says.

Mrs Cresswell’s granddaughter Natalie heard her screams and came to her aid. She turned off the tap and helped her grandmother out of the bath.

Mrs Cresswell was rushed to hospital with burns from the waist down. She was put on a drip, given strong pain killers and treated for shock.

She stayed in hospital for two weeks before she was thought to be well enough to return to the UK. A nurse had to travel with her on the flight back and on arrival she was taken straight to the specialist burns unit at Selly Oak Hospital where she underwent a skin graft.

After the accident Mrs Cresswell suffered flashbacks and was afraid to go to sleep in case she had nightmares.

Mrs Cresswell was left needing care and assistance to complete day to day tasks, and even now continues to suffer pain as a result of her burns.

She is now reliant on pain killers and has to apply creams to stop her skin from drying out.

“I am constantly aware of the pain and feel upset that I have no choice but to put up with it. I have forced myself to accept that it is part of me and my life now. I always feel a constant pulling and tugging feeling from the wounds and get intermittent shooting pains, which are made worse by cold weather.”

Amandeep Dhillon of Irwin Mitchell helped Mrs Cresswell recover £35,000 in an out of court settlement. He said: “The accident has had a serious and permanent impact on Margaret’s health and lifestyle. Although no amount of money can turn back the clock, we are pleased to have obtained a good financial settlement which will help to compensate Margaret for the pain and suffering she has endured.”