A couple whose luxury wedding in the Dominican Republic was ruined when they and several of their guests contracted a severe gastric illness have won tens of thousands of pounds in compensation from the tour operator.
The couple had flown to the luxury Melia Caribe Tropical Resort in Punta Cana for what they hoped would be a romantic two-week holiday in August 2009. However, their happy day became a nightmare when they and five other members of their family fell ill with vomiting, diarrhoea, severe abdominal pain and lethargy.
Conditions at the resort were alleged to have fallen far below what the wedding party had expected, with food being undercooked on some occasions and cooking utensils being used for both raw and cooked meat.
Victims of the outbreak included the bride’s two young sons and her father, for whom the consequences were particularly severe as he had previously suffered from bowel cancer.
A claim was brought against the tour operator, Thomas Cook, which agreed to pay almost £50,000 in damages.
Tour operators have a duty to their customers to ensure that hotels are following good hygiene practices when preparing and serving food and when cleaning the premises.
If you are struck down with illness on a package holiday, you may have a right to claim against the tour operator. It is important to remember that such illnesses are common and to obtain compensation, you need to provide evidence that the tour operator was at fault and the resort failed to exercise reasonable care to prevent infection.
If you have suffered illness caused by procedural failings at your holiday resort, contact us as soon as possible for advice on the next step to take.