Yorkshire man given five-figure compensation after being hospitalised with Legionnaires’ disease in Cuba
Holiday company TUI has agreed to give “a five-figure compensation” to a customer from Yorkshire who was hospitalised with Legionnaires’ disease after a holiday to Cuba.
Gary Cushnie, who was travelling with his partner Julie on her 60th birthday, began to feel ill after staying in a hotel booked with TUI.
He spent the final week of his trip, which took place in June 2022, ‘totally exhausted’ and was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary on his return to the UK.
Mr Cushnie was treated with antibiotics after blood tests confirmed he had Legionnaires’ disease, a lung infection caused by inhaling infected drops of water.
TUI initially denied being liable for Mr Cushnie contracting the disease at Iberostar Grand Packard Hotel in Havana, but agreed to settle after the case was filed in court.
He was given a five-figure compensation settlement, according to Hudgell Solicitors, who represented Mr Cushnie.
Anne Thomson, Senior Litigation Executive at the Solicitors, said that she was pleased TUI settled out of court, adding that holiday operators “often deny that one of the hotels they use has been the source of the infection” and said that she was pleased TUI settled out of court.
Mr Cushnie still feels the effects of his Legionnaires’ disease three years on, saying that, “even now, it takes very little for me to get out of breath and for my energy levels to drop.”
He wears a mask as he sleeps to aid his breathing and takes tablets to manage his blood pressure. The incident also forced him to retire early, because he feels “totally exhausted much of the time.”
Whilst neither he nor his wife noticed anything unusual during the holiday, they recall a shower which ‘coughed and spluttered’ in their Havana hotel. No other holidaymakers on their flight experienced any issues at the establishment, but Mr Cushnie noted that they were the only couple to stay on the newly refurbished fourth floor.
The NHS suggests that contracting Legionnaires’ Disease, though ‘uncommon’, is more likely “in places like hotels, hospitals or offices where the bacteria have got into the water supply.”
Symptoms include shortness of breath and discomfort breathing.
Days after arriving at the hotel, Mr Cushnie said he “stated [sic] having dizzy spells and suffering from chest pains and was sweating and quickly getting out of breath, having to use a lift to go up a single flight of stairs.”
He “did very little” for the rest of the holiday, and at one point “collapsed into the swimming pool fully clothed” whilst returning to his room.
Despite winning significant compensation, Mr Cushnie said: “This was not about the money for me, it was about TUI recognising that they had failed to look after their customers.”
He now ‘takes extra care’ when travelling, running taps after arriving at a hotel. “I do this every time now and have told others to do this as well,” he said.