On 13th August 2014 Devon’s River Dart Country Park was closed after a serious outbreak of the Norovirus left more than 90 people severely ill, sources from the BBC report. New reports indicate that some victims are seeking compensation for the park’s alleged failure to provide adequate advanced warning to guests who were due to stay there after managers knew of the outbreak.
Whilst the park is looking at refunding those affected and has stated that the virus was brought in from outside by a guest as opposed to being down to poor hygiene standards, upset victims are demanding answers as to why they were allegedly not informed of the outbreak prior to their stay. Managers have defended accusations by stating that they are “surprised” citing that they had been “talking to guests on a case by case basis.”
When it comes to making a claim for personal injury compensation it is the duty of the injured victim to prove that they were subject to negligence that has caused undue suffering and loss. Whilst the reports affirm that the virus was brought in from the outside, the issue surrounding adequate warning and notice remains open for debate.
Of course, had it been proved that the virus had originated from poor hygiene standards on the part of the park then there is every chance of making a successful compensation claim against them. Here it appears it will be a case of identifying whether the park took all reasonable steps to contain the outbreak and warn guests who were due to stay there.
If it can be shown that the park ought to have taken more steps to contain the virus and had failed to adequately warn people of the potential danger then those victims this has affected may be able to make a successful claim.
It is always best to seek independent legal advice from an expert injury law firm and make sure you ask the important questions about how your law firm will work for you.
Just to let you know, there were some pretty significant changes in the law last year which means that the way in which law firm’s work has drastically evolved:
- Most law firms deduct at least 25% from your claim with some having deductions of up to 40%
- Many will ask for upfront payments for insurance which can be in the region of a few hundred pounds to £1,500
- Many will seek further fees from you if a claim is successful because we only receive a small amount of fixed fees for most cases nowadays
But we work in a very different way and we can often save our clients thousands of pounds with no upfront fees, hidden charges, or massive deductions – so take care not to jump in and make sure you thoroughly discuss funding with a lawyer before you go ahead with a case!
