£2,200 compensation for Tunisia trip lift accident at Riu Bellevue Park Hotel
The metal bar had been placed so that it spanned the width of the lift and our client tripped over it as she was exiting the lift one evening.Slips, trips and falls can really wreck a holiday. On the eleventh day of her holiday our client tripped over a metal bar placed inside a lift at the hotel Riu Bellevue Park Hotel in Port El Kantaoui and ended up suffering injuries which took nearly a year to recover from.
She fell heavily on her right knee and arm and sustained bruising, carpet burns and grazing to both, as well as a wound to her elbow which bled severely.
After cleaning herself up in her room the client reported the accident to the holiday rep and hotel manager at the Riu Bellevue Park Hotel. They advised her to visit the local pharmacy as there was no first aid kit available at the hotel. However, as it was night-time she felt it might be unsafe to make her way to the pharmacy.
The next morning our client spoke to the holiday rep who arranged for a nurse to inspect her swollen knee. Her knee had, by now, developed a large lump and further bruising. Our client also completed an accident report form.
Claiming compensation for injuries following a Holiday Accident
Under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, all tour operators, in this case First Choice, have a duty to ensure health and safety standards are maintained at the hotels they send holidaymakers to.
Even though Simpson Millar was able to provide evidence of the client’s injuries sustained at the Riu Bellevue Park Hotel First Choice failed to admit liability for her injuries.
Simpson Millar’s specialist holiday accident claims team arranged for the client to see a Consultant in Accident and Emergency Medicine who examined her and produced a medical report.
The medical report sent to First Choice detailed our client’s various injuries as a result of the lift accident. They included the injuries to her elbow and knee, which prevented her from taking part in any of the holiday activities she had planned because the wound was both painful and weepy.
As a result, our client was also unable to wear long-sleeved clothing, as the material would stick to the wound. She also had great difficulty sleeping and was unable to return to her normal duties at work following the accident.
The medical expert advised that the scarring our client suffered with would start to improve within 6 to 12 months, although she would be left with a permanent residual scar as a result of the accident.
Simpson Millar helped her pursue a claim against First Choice for the injuries she suffered and other special damages, including a claim for loss of earnings and loss of holiday enjoyment.
Compensation for Holiday Injuries
Initially First Choice offered the client just £1,250 in compensation for the injuries sustained in the lift accident at the Riu Bellevue Park Hotel.
Following our advice, she declined the offer and after negotiations between Simpson Millar and First Choice concluded, accepted a much improved compensation offer of £2,200.
Simpson Millar accepted the case on a ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis which meant the client’s legal costs were paid for by the other party and she was able to keep 100% of the compensation awarded to her.
If you have been injured in a holiday accident, contact Simpson Millar’s specialist holiday accident claims team by phone or complete the online enquiry form.