Food poisoning is responsible for ruining the holidays of millions of British people every year.
In the past, holidaymakers have been willing accept holiday food poisoning as an inevitable risk of travelling abroad. However, the culture is changing and people are increasingly turning to lawyers for legal redress when their holiday is spoilt by sickness.
The Package Travel Regulations make it possible for holidaymakers to seek compensation from the tour operators who arranged their holiday if the food poisoning or sickness has been caused by poor hygiene or food preparation in the resort or hotel or on the cruise ship. As lawyers specialising in recovering injury compensation we are here to help you when illness strikes and we can claim holiday food poisoning compensation for you on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Sometimes food poisoning cannot be avoided, but there are some simple precautions you can follow when abroad that will considerable reduce the risks of becoming ill. Plenty of exercise and sleep along with a healthy diet will boost your immune system and help you to combat with any germs you pick up on holiday.
Experts also recommend that you take a probiotic in the weeks before you depart. These line the stomach with ‘friendly’ bacteria thereby aiding digestion and further bolstering your immune system.
When you arrive at your destination be sensible about the liquids and food you consume. If the local tap water isn’t to be trusted then stick to bottled water. Remember to use this for cleaning your teeth and don’t take ice in your drinks unless you know for certain that it’s safe. Salads can also bring you into contact with contaminated water, so beware. And watch out for local ice cream. This may contain tap water and there is a risk that it may have melted and been refrozen.
Make an effort to eat fresh food that has been thoroughly cooked and is piping hot. Temperatures above 67 degrees C are recommended. Steer clear in particular of food that has been kept warm or uncooked food which you cannot peel or shell yourself, especially seafood. So, in short, be careful at the buffet counter.
If you are unlucky enough to suffer holiday food poisoning the golden rule is to not become dehydrated. Drink lots of water and use rehydration salts. Food poisoning can be extremely dangerous so a local doctor should be consulted. To boost your prospects of making a successful compensation claim when you return it is important to report the illness to your holiday rep and the hotel, take photographs or video of any poor food hygiene practices or undercooked food and remember to ask other travellers who have also been ill for their details.
Finally, if you need free legal guidance on the spot then feel free to contact us from your resort and one of our lawyers will get straight back to you with their recommendations on your holiday food poisoning case.