Expert Travel Illness Lawyers Investigating Holidaymaker’s Illness Following Stay At Medina Gardens Hotel

A Derbyshire man who travelled to Marrakech with his wife to celebrate his 51^st birthday has instructed expert travel lawyers to investigate what caused him to fall ill during his stay at the Medina Gardens hotel after he tested positive for Campylobacter, a bacterium linked to incorrectly prepared poultry.

James Gratton, 51, and his wife Paula, 50, from Heanor, travelled to the four-star hotel in March 2016 for a relaxing week-long break. However, halfway through the trip James began to suffer with diarrhoea, a high temperature and stomach pains.

His symptoms worsened as the holiday continued and he was in considerable pain on the flight home.

When he arrived in the UK he called the NHS Direct service and was instructed to go to his local hospital, where he was prescribed medication to control the symptoms. Despite this, the symptoms continued and a stool sample taken by his GP tested positive for Campylobacter.

Campylobacter is the most common form of food poisoning and can have serious long-term consequences for victims.

James and Paula have now instructed expert travel illness lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the cause of his illness on the holiday, which was booked through TUI UK Limited trading as First Choice.  

Amandeep Samra, an expert travel illness lawyer in Irwin Mitchell’s International Personal Injury Team, representing James and Paula, said:

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“This case illustrates the long-term problems that can arise from gastric illnesses and infections caused by Campylobacter. James continues to suffer from symptoms linked to his holiday in Morocco and both he and Paula want to know what caused him to fall so ill.

“Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning and from our work we understand just how serious it can be and the life-changing impact these kinds of illnesses can have on those unfortunate enough to develop them.

"We have now contacted First Choice and requested that they begin an investigation into the cause of James’ illness and we hope following these investigations, we can provide Paula and James with the answers they want about their ruined holiday, which was intended to be a celebration of James’ 51st birthday.

“We would like to hear from anyone else who stayed at the Medina Gardens Hotel who may be able to help with our enquiries.” Amandeep Singh Samra - Associate Solicitor

James, a HGV driver, and Paula, an administrator, told their legal team at Irwin Mitchell that they often saw birds flying around the restaurant area during meal times, and on occasions they were served food that looked undercooked and was lukewarm.

James, 51, said: “We booked this holiday as a way of celebrating my birthday and we’d been looking forward to it for a long time. But, in truth, it turned into a nightmare for both of us.

“I suffered terrible symptoms at the hotel, during our flight home and when I got back to the UK. The illness meant half the holiday was ruined for both of us.

“I had to take some extra time of work to recover from the symptoms and I still don’t feel completely right. We hope that by taking legal action we’ll find out what caused me to fall ill and how I came to test positive for Campylobacter.

“What was supposed to be an enjoyable and relaxing trip turned into a bit of a nightmare and spoilt what should have been a celebratory holiday.”