Family wins compensation after holiday claim
Illness can ruin a holiday. Certain precautions are usually advised in guidebooks and by holiday companies to avoid illness whilst on holiday abroad. These precautions usually include not drinking the local tap water and making sure food is thoroughly cooked.
However, despite holiday-makers’ best efforts, food poisoning or illness sometimes strikes. A British family fell ill whilst on holiday in the Dominican Republic in 2007. After hearing reports of guests at the hotel where they were going to be staying suffering from dizziness, stomach cramps and projectile vomiting, they contacted their holiday company who assured them that everything was fine at the hotel. However, during their holiday, they fell ill and had to call an emergency doctor to their hotel room. Upon returning to the UK, the family put in a holiday claim. The holiday company maintained that “the sickness was caused as a result of a natural incidence of the airborne virus gastroenteritis … and is not connected to health and hygiene standards at the hotel.” Despite not accepting liability, the holiday company paid the family £10,000 in an out-of-court settlement and paid similar amounts to other guests at the same hotel.
Unfortunately, stories like this are all too common. A Which? Magazine report found that the worst destinations for holiday illness are Peru, Kenya, India and the Dominican Republic but illness can strike anywhere. In fact, a study found that 40% of British travellers abroad suffer from food poisoning and this can lead to a holiday claim when holiday makers return home. Stories of diarrhoea, salmonella, E.coli, shigella, cryptosporidium and dysentery abound on travel websites. All inclusive hotels are amongst the worst offenders because food can be left out for long periods and viruses and bacteria can be spread on buffet serving spoons.
Sometimes the cause of food poisoning seems obvious. One family reported rats by their hotel pool and in the bar area, bird faeces on tables and undercooked food. They suffered severe gastric illness. Another family visiting Egypt noticed that food was undercooked and the chef was seen to handle food after touching raw meat. They suffered from suspected Cryptosporidium.
However, sometimes the cause of illness is not so obvious. A British traveller to Morocco suffered from Compylobacta despite drinking only bottled water and noticing no hygiene issues in the hotel. Because the symptoms of food poisoning usually begin 1 to 3 days after contact with the virus or bacteria, the exact cause can be difficult to determine.
Food poisoning can be caused either by a virus or bacteria. The most common symptoms are vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Other symptoms can be fever, chills, headache and muscle ache. One of the main problems is dehydration and doctors recommend drinking plenty of fluids to counterbalance body fluids lost through vomiting and diarrhoea.
There is always a risk of illness on holiday but holiday makers can reduce the risk by taking precautions such as washing hands and staying alert to hygiene issues at hotels and restaurants. If illness does occur because of negligence, you may be able to put in a holiday claim and receive compensation.