Thomas Cook and its subsidiary MyTravel were forced to pay up $8.17 million, one of the biggest compensation sums, to more than 500 tourists who came down with Shigella and salmonella infections after consuming the food served by the four-star Bahia Principe hotel in the Dominican Republic.
The incident occurred in 2007 and, of the 514 taken ill, several needed medical treatment, 29 were hospitalized—five after they got back to the UK—and more than 200 still suffer from the long-term effects, two years after flying home.
The travelers who sued the holiday companies for putting them up at the hotel despite reports of guests falling sick, were represented by solicitors Irwin Mitchell.
Thomas Cook and MyTravel decided to settle the compensation claim before it reached court. However, other tour operators who used the hotel have yet to do the same thing.