Each year, thousands of Brits contract holiday food poisoning while away with family and friends. Becoming sick with food poisoning while abroad can ruin the perfect holiday.

If you have been unlucky enough to become sick on holiday because of food poisoning, you may be able to claim compensation for your suffering. If you decide to make a holiday food poisoning claim, First Personal Injury are here to help.

Food poisoning is caused by eating contaminated food that has not been properly cooked or been prepared in areas where there are poor levels of hygiene. The most common types of food poisoning include E Coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus.

Holiday food poisoning outbreaks can be widespread in all inclusive holiday resorts. This is because guests often eat at the same buffet-style restaurants. In these places, food may be left out for long periods in hot temperatures, causing it to go off, or staff may fail to follow hygiene regulations when preparing food. Both of these things can lead to holiday food poisoning.

Claiming for holiday food poisoning

If you suffer a bout of food poisoning while on a package holiday, there are laws that entitle you to claim compensation from your tour operator.

Tour operators (which include companies like Thomson and First Choice) have a responsibility to make sure that the hotels they work with maintain an acceptable level of hygiene and observe international food safety standards. If they fail to do this and you suffer holiday food poisoning as a result, you may be able to claim.

To make a valid holiday food poisoning claim, you must be able to show that your sickness was caused by the negligence of your tour operator or the staff at the restaurant or hotel where you ate.

Symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting, fever and diarrhoea. They usually last for several days and do not require treatment. However, sometimes there can be long-lasting effects such as IBS or diabetes.

How much can I claim for holiday food poisoning?

The amount of compensation you can claim will depend on the severity of your symptoms and how they affected both your holiday and your quality of life after returning home. To find out how much compensation you could receive, contact First Personal Injury today.

How to make a holiday sickness food poisoning claim

If you have suffered holiday food poisoning and want to make a food poisoning claim, there are steps you can take to strengthen your claim:

• Seek medical help as soon as possible
• Inform your tour operator representative or the management of the hotel or restaurant
• Take photos of any unhygienic areas you feel were to blame for your holiday sickness
• Speak to other holidaymakers to see if they have also had food poisoning. If they have had a similar experience, take their contact detail; they might be willing to provide a supporting statement. You might be able to make a group claim if there has been an outbreak of food poisoning.
• Make a note of everything you ate, and where, in the 48-hour period before you fell ill.
• When you get home, make an appointment with your GP

Claiming holiday food poisoning compensation with First Personal Injury

To make a successful holiday food poisoning claim, you need an experienced team of personal injury lawyers behind you. Contact the holiday claims solicitors at First Personal Injury to assess the potential of your claim. They will guide you through the food poisoning claims process and will be able to answer any questions. Fill in an online enquiry form or call us on 0800 808 9740.