The holiday company First Choice are being sued for a reported £3 million after hundreds of holidaymakers fell ill when staying at the Bahia Principe Hotel in the Dominican Republic. There have been reports of ghastly conditions at the hotel, with many of the claimants giving detailed reports about:
- Poor hygiene at the hotel
- Food and water that was unfit for consumption
- Problems with vermin
- Defective facilities such as toilets and showers
- A leaking sewer system
The combination of a number of these severe problems caused an apparent epidemic of gastroenteritis amongst those staying at the hotel, according to the 409 claimants seeking damages against the travel company. First Choice are currently being accused of failing to assess hygiene and safety standards at the hotel and failing to provide food and drink that was safe to consume. The holidaymakers also claim that the company did not act on complaints properly, and ultimately endangered the health of everyone staying at the hotel in San Juan.
This is of course an extreme case, but holidaymakers are perfectly within their rights to make a compensation claim if they have become ill on holiday or if their safety is put at risk due to someone else’s negligence.
