Lawyers Instructed Regarding Problems At Sol Rio de Luna y Mares

A woman whose stay at a Cuban holiday resort in May was “ruined” after she developed serious gastric illness symptoms has instructed specialist travel lawyers to help her gain answers regarding the problems she faced.

Emma Duffell, 29, from Chorley, began to suffer from stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting around 12 days into her 15 day break at the Sol Rio de Luna y Mares resort in Cuba, with the problems causing major disruption to the final few days of her stay.

The issues then went on to impact on her life when she returned home to the UK too, with the persistent symptoms meaning she required medical advice from her GP and also needed three days off work as she battled the illness. Emma also required numerous trips to the hospital to undergo various tests. 

She has now instructed legal experts in Irwin Mitchell’s International Personal Injury team to investigate her experiences during the holiday booked through Thomas Cook Tour Operations Limited and help her gain answers regarding how they emerged.

Jennifer Downing, the specialist illness lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who is representing Emma, said: 

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“We are hugely concerned by the first-hand account provided by our client and have already commenced our own investigations into the issues that she faced.

“This yet another terrible case which highlights the impact that gastric illness problems can have on victims, not only in terms of the disruption caused to precious time abroad but also the wider impact on their lives when they return back home.

“Emma clearly deserves answers regarding her experiences and we are determined to help her every step of the way.

“If you also travelled to this resort and are able to help with our enquiries we would like to hear from you.” Jennifer Downing - Solicitor

Emma’s holiday at the Sol Rio de Luna y Mares began on 7th May but it was around 12 days later when she first started to fall ill.

She said: “I was first hit by stomach cramps which were incredibly painful and then that was followed by diarrhoea. I thought it could not get any worse and then the next day I started vomiting. It was absolutely horrendous and the final days of my holiday were ruined.

“I self-medicated and avoided seeking medical help as other holidaymakers said there was a 24-hour bug going around, yet the symptoms would not go away and by the time I got home I had no choice but to take time off work and see my GP.

“You simply never expect this kind of thing to happen and I feel I deserve some sort of explanation as to how I fell ill. Nothing will change my experiences, but it is vital that the issue is investigating ultimately so that no one else hopefully goes through what I have faced.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in holiday illness cases.