William Marsh alleges that a nasty stomach sickness he contracted while on a fantasy vacation in the Dominican Republic induced an abnormal reaction in his body, leaving him wheelchair-bound and disabled.
The 59-year-old had a weeklong vacation at the Riu Naiboa resort in July 2018 to commemorate his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife Kathryn and their 17-year-old daughter.
William became unwell with stomach cramps and diarrhea while they were enjoying their all-inclusive stay at the upscale hotel, which was reserved through TUI.
After a few days, instead of getting better, he found it difficult to resume his engineering work when he got home.
He discovered one morning that his legs were completely numb when he woke up, and the terror of numbness slowly spreading throughout his body followed.
Soon after, he fell into a coma for ten weeks and required ventilator care; when he came to, he underwent intense rehab.
Four years later, Mr. Marsh of Mountain Ash, Wales, is suing travel company TUI in London’s High Court for up to £5 million over his irreversible condition, which he attributes to subpar food preparation or hygiene standards at the Rui Naiboa.
According to Mr. Marsh’s attorneys, a bacterial infection contracted at the hotel precipitated the devastating neurological condition known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, in which the immune system targets nerves rather than fighting off pathogens.
TUI, meanwhile, is vehemently contesting that the hotel was the origin of any lethal stomach sickness and is denying all responsibility.
On its website, the four-star Riu Naiboa hotel, which is 400 meters from a popular beach, claims to take pride in serving up traditional Dominican food along with a “broad variety of flavors and scents” at its buffet and “themed” restaurants.
Last week, the case against TUI made it to the High Court for a preliminary hearing when attorneys worked out the complicated issues that would determine the course of the trial.
Mr. Marsh previously stated: “We have carers coming to the house every day and I require so much support to accomplish even the smallest activities now.”
We also had to make a number of improvements because we needed an accessible automobile, a wet room, and new central heating.
I must spend the most of my time in the living room because I have trouble getting to other places. It has been disastrous.
“The rehabilitation process has been exceedingly sluggish, which has at times been very frustrating.
It’s still hard to believe all that has happened to me, and accepting the possibility that I might never be able to walk completely again has been difficult.
The attorney for Mr. Marsh, Matthew Chapman, stated that he would be looking for information regarding historical food preparation and cleanliness practices at the hotel, as well as “any recorded incidences of complaints about gastrointestinal or gastric associated disorders.”
TUI disputes the claims of negligence and the reason for his illness, and it also disputes the amount of compensation requested.
According to Mr. Marsh, he is now confined to a wheelchair and has extreme weakness along his left side of his body, which has a profound impact on his left hand’s grip.
The eventual trial, according to Mr. Chapman, would feature testimony from a number of expert witnesses, including microbiologists and an authority on regional food and hygiene standards.