Holiday Illness Compensation Claims

With the advent of affordable foreign travel to increasingly exotic destinations worldwide, more and more people are now experiencing all the delights of foreign cultures many thousands of miles away from home.  For some people, it has become necessary to travel abroad for work while for the majority of us it has become a far more attractive alternative to holidaying at home under grey skies.  While foreign travel has opened up many exciting new opportunities for a much bigger group of people; it has also opened up a whole new series of dangers to the average budding holiday-maker.

These dangers are extremely numerous and, amongst other things, include such things as accidents, attacks and robberies.  However, one danger that is possibly more likely to occur than any other while abroad is contracting an illness usually as a result of eating contaminated food.  Illnesses such as food poisoning can be extremely unpleasant and can have a devastating impact on the affected individual both in the short and long-term.  If you have contracted an illness such as food poisoning on holiday and it wasn’t your fault, then you could be entitled to compensation.

What Are The Most Common Causes of Illness While on Holiday?

There are numerous ways in which contraction of illness can take place while on holiday. Food poisoning is the most high risk of holiday illness and is caused mainly by the affected holiday-maker eating food that has been contaminated, improperly prepared or undercooked at the accommodation where they are staying and as a result may be a combination of any of these factors. This is normally the case if the affected holiday-maker is staying in an all-inclusive hotel where all meals and drinks are provided as part of their holiday package or full board where all meals excluding drinks are provided.

However, if the victim went as part of bed and breakfast or half board package where only a certain amount of daily meals are provided, the victim may have contracted food poisoning if they went and ate at local bars, restaurants and tavernas in the resort. This is particularly the case if they were on a self-catering holiday where the only options are to either eat out or cook your meals from scratch. Self-catering can also be problematic if the kitchen of the apartment in which the affected person has stayed or the utensils it houses have been contaminated and not cleaned properly from previous use. Additional problems can arise if the affected person buys contaminated food from local businesses like supermarkets, butchers, bakers and greengrocers.

Are there different kinds of holiday illness can I claim compensation for?

Many people are unaware that holiday illness compensation claims can be made. Indeed, for every holiday illness compensation claim that is made, there are estimated to be at least ten others that are not. That’s a lot of money not being claimed by people who are genuinely entitled to it. Make sure you’re one of them by giving Tylers a call today. You can make a claim regardless of whether it was your entire holiday or just a small portion that has been ruined. You must be able to prove that the illness you contracted while on holiday was not your fault but that of someone else and it must also have happened within three years. You can make a claim for any treatment you have undertaken as well as for any travelling expenses if the illness was bad enough that you to have had to travel to the hospital both at home and abroad.

Claims can also be made if you have had to take time off work as well as for the general pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of your holiday as a result of the illness.

What are the most common holiday-related bacterial infections?

Some of the most common bacterial infections that are contracted while on holiday are Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Shigella and Gastroenteritis. Eating food that has been infected with any of these harmful bacteria can be extremely unpleasant for the affected victim and can also be tremendously dangerous, particularly if the victim belongs to a group that is considered particularly at risk such as young children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems. Symptoms of food poisoning caused by infection with any of these types of bacteria are usually flu-like in nature and include sickness and vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhoea.

These symptoms can last for several days and require longer periods of time to recover from fully depending on the severity of the infection. Many people eventually make a complete recovery from food poisoning, but in more severe cases the victim can be left with lasting long-term damage. In the short-term, the victim may suffer a dramatic loss of weight which may take a long time to regain, but in the medium to long-term, it can also lead to other conditions such as making a irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue syndrome and reactive arthritis. In rare cases, food poisoning caused by infection with any of these bacteria can be even fatal.

What else causes holiday illnesses?

As well as food poisoning, there is a host of other causes of illness while on holiday. Swimming pools in the grounds of hotels and apartments are always a good source of illness particularly if they are regularly used by many different people and are poorly maintained. If someone using the pool is infected by a parasite such as a particular strain of Cryptosporidium that is resistant to the disinfectant properties of chlorine, then they are likely to pass it on to other pool users. Cryptosporidium can survive in the small intestine for up to five weeks and can cause severe illness in the affected person. Public toilets can also be a good source of bacterial infection on holiday if someone doesn’t wash their hands before leaving and touches a door handle that other people then touch. Such contamination can be avoided while on holiday by taking extra precautions by carrying with you such things as antibacterial hand gels should the cleaning facilities in public toilets leave much to be desired.

Could I be eligible to make a claim for compensation?

You could make a compensation claim for holiday illness regardless of whether the illness was contracted in another country or not and you can still make a claim even if you booked your flights and accommodation separately without a tour operator. Legislation on the British statute books such as the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 provides for cases to be brought against the owners of the accommodation in which you stayed if you suspect it was there that your illness was contracted. This legislation also provides for cases to be brought against cruise line operators as well as any other party you believe to be guilty of causing your illness.

Claims can also be made abroad as well in the UK although legal rules and levels of compensation vary between countries. It will be up to our team of solicitors to assess your claim and determine which route is most likely to secure an award and one where a maximum amount possible can be attained for you. All holiday operators and businesses involved in the tourism and hospitality industries in any country owe a duty of care to their customers and must ensure that health and safety are maintained through good and hygienic working practices to ensure the general health and wellbeing of those customers. To have the best chance of winning the compensation you rightfully deserve, you should compile as much evidence as possible that you believe will help your case.

How Can Tylers Help Me?

If you have travelled abroad in the last three years and contracted a serious illness while you were there as a result of someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Tylers Solicitors has an expert team of highly professional solicitors who will guide you every step of the way through the complex legal process, keeping you updated should any developments with your case arise. Our solicitors have many years combined experience and will do everything within their power to award you with an amount that is satisfactory to you and is proportionate to the amount of suffering you have endured.

We understand just how unpleasant suffering a gastrointestinal illness can be at the best of times but especially so when you’re on holiday and should be enjoying your well-deserved break. This is particularly the case if the illness you contracted was not your fault but that of someone else not taking the hygienic precautions necessary to ensure your wellbeing. Whatever your particular personal circumstances, we’re here to help award you with the compensation you deserve. So don’t delay any longer, give Tylers a call today and take that courageous first step towards achieving justice for having your holiday ruined by illness.

If you have contracted an illness on holiday as a result of contamination due to someone else’s negligence, then you may be able to make a claim. Call Tylers today on (freephone): 0800 699 0079 to see if you can make a claim today.

For any Holiday Accident Claims, call Tylers Solicitors today, a leading UK provider of no-win, no-fee legal services. Our experienced team will work with you to get the maximum amount of compensation you’re entitled to, following any kind of injury that isn’t your fault!