Expert Travel Lawyers Launch Legal Proceedings Against Tour Operator
A woman left with potentially long-term health problems after contracting salmonella during a stay at a Bulgarian hotel has spoken of her ‘nightmare’ ordeal after expert travel lawyers issued legal proceedings against the tour operator.
Catherine Lowe, 26, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, had to be hooked up to a drip in a local medical centre because her symptoms of severe diarrhoea and vomiting had left her dangerously dehydrated.
She was forced to miss a week of work as a health care assistant and continues to suffer with ongoing symptoms of post infective irritable bowel syndrome following her 10 day trip to the Laguna Park resort, from June to July 2012, where she suffered severe diarrhoea and abdominal pain. She was later diagnosed with Salmonella food poisoning.
Now, international travel law experts at Irwin Mitchell representing Catherine have been forced to issue court proceedings against tour operator Thomas Cook to try and secure a settlement.
Tonia Kingsley, a travel law expert at the firm representing Catherine, said: “This is an important step in Catherine’s case as we have been left with no choice but to issue court proceedings to seek a fair settlement on behalf of our client.
“Salmonella is a potentially fatal form of food poisoning that can leave sufferers with permanent symptoms.
”We will now continue to work on Catherine’s behalf in order to secure a fair settlement that reflects the suffering and loss which she has had to endure.”
Catherine fell ill 6 days into the holiday. She sought medical treatment whilst in Bulgaria at a local medical centre where she was put on a drip and given antidiarrheal and anti-emetic but after still feeling unwell on her return to England; she visited her local GP who diagnosed her with Salmonella food poisoning.
As she is a health care worker, she had to take a week off work following the diagnosis. Her experience has left her with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and has also taken its toll on her job as a health care assistant.
Catherine said: “I was appalled by the conditions at the Laguna Park Hotel; I was looking forward to visiting Bulgaria, the trip was meant to be a relaxing holiday with my best friend and it turned into a complete nightmare.
“Some of the food was undercooked and the food which was meant to be served hot was usually lukewarm at best. I sometimes witnessed the chefs at the restaurant handling raw meat with the same utensils they used on other foods. When I tried to complain to hotel staff about the conditions in the restaurant and the general hygiene of the hotel they were extremely rude and would not accept that there was a problem.
“When I fell ill I had to go to a nearby medical centre for treatment and I was put on a drip and given other medication to try to relieve my symptoms; I was in agony and I just wanted to get home to recover.
“I was extremely disappointed with the hotel as they had made me check out of the hotel at 12 noon despite my illness. I needed to stay near to a toilet and my flight back home was early the next morning. I was extremely disappointed with the lack of care shown by the hotel.”