Demand For Answers As Victim Struggles With Lasting Effects Of Illness

A Worcester woman who is continuing to suffer as a result of the salmonella she contracted during her special break at a Dominican Republic hotel earlier this year has instructed specialist lawyers to investigate the ordeal she has endured.

Alison Lee, 56, was unable to venture far from her hotel room for two days after she fell ill with symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting, shakes and stomach cramps just days into her two-week holiday at the Hotel Be Live Canoa in May and June this year.

Following the holiday, which was booked to mark both her birthday and her wedding anniversary with husband Martyn, Alison was admitted to A&E with a chest infection and suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting, subsequent tests confirmed she had developed salmonella.

She was unable to work for a number of weeks following returning to the UK and has also advised she has been contacted by Environmental Health.

As she continues to battle the problems, Alison has instructed specialist lawyers in Irwin Mitchell’s International Personal Injury team to investigate the holiday booked through Thomas Cook Tour Operations Limited trading as Airtours to ascertain what caused her to fall ill.

Amandeep Samra, the legal expert at Irwin Mitchell who is representing Alison, said: 

Expert Opinion

“Our client has faced an incredibly difficult few months and is still attempting to recover from the serious illness that she developed during the holiday.

“As this case demonstrates, severe gastric illnesses like salmonella can have a lasting impact on victims. Such problems not only ruin holidays but also have a significant impact on a person’s life when they return home, often disrupting both their personal and working lives.

“We are deeply concerned by her first-hand account regarding the holiday and are now focused on ensuring that she gets the answers she deserves regarding what caused her to fall ill.” Amandeep Singh Samra - Associate Solicitor

Alison stayed at the Hotel Be Live Canoa from May 25th to June 9th, but fell ill on just the fourth day of the break.

Alison has instructed her legal representatives that on occasion’s food was not served at the correct temperature, with much of it being cold when it was supposed to be hot. Further, on occasions she noticed that the food at the buffet was left uncovered and occasionally she witnessed birds swooping down and stealing items such as bread from the buffet. She also witnessed on a couple of occasions birds defecating on the tables.

She further recollects that sometimes different types of meat, including chicken, pork and beef, were cooked on the same griddle and then placed into a bucket of ice. Upon request for a particular meat, the chef would just reheat it on the griddle.

She recalled: “I was in such a bad way that I simply could not venture far from my room for a couple of days, but after that I managed to see the tour representative and got some advice on medication to pick up from a local chemist.

“When I got back home I was really struggling and couldn’t believe it when I needed to go to hospital. Being told I had salmonella was then a huge shock.”

Alison added that many weeks on from the holiday the illness is continuing to impact on her.

She said: “I continue to feel unwell and I often feel lethargic and I feel my appetite has been affected, while some of my other symptoms also come and go. This was supposed to be a special holiday to celebrate my birthday and my anniversary yet it was nothing but a nightmare.

“We are hugely frustrated by everything that has happened and just feel we deserve answers regarding why I fell ill.”