Agonising knee injury ruins 60th birthday cruise

Helen Hogg was halfway through her dream Croatian cruise when a horror fall split her knee open.

The 63-year-old was walking in the buffet area of the TUI Marella Explorer liner when a soiled floor sent her crashing to the ground.

Her left knee struck the ground so hard it split wide open – nearly eight inches from side to side.

Helen from Cumbernauld near Glasgow said: “It was supposed to be a special holiday - one week on the cruise then one week at a resort.

“But there’s no other way to say it – the injury I suffered ruined everything.”

After the fall Helen was given first aid by cruise staff however her injuries were so severe that it was clear she would need hospital treatment on the mainland. 

When the incident happened the Marella Explorer was docked in Dubrovnik so Helen was taken to a nearby hospital via ambulance.

To worsen matters, staff did not accompany Helen so she was forced to communicate with Croatian medics on her own – her husband was not even allowed to travel with her.

Thankfully, her wounds were stitched and bandaged, and she was advised to travel back home immediately. 

But TUI staff said there were no flights to Glasgow available and she would simply have to continue on her cruise until they docked in Corfu – this meant Helen was confined to her cabin for several days.

She added: “The treatment from TUI staff made me very angry. It was a catalogue of disasters – no communication or real care.

“They promised me a wheelchair which I didn’t get and the rep didn’t seem to care.”

Eventually, after a lot of pain and distress, Helen and her husband were able to get a flight home – but again, there were still no wheelchairs or other support measures provided.

After returning home Helen came to Digby Brown for legal advice on an accident abroad claim.

Stephen Duff, Associate in our Foreign and Travel team, investigated TUI over failings that led to Helen’s injuries – he also gathered medical records and even analysed Helen’s shoes from the time of the fall. 

He also found evidence that showed cruise staff could not be relied on to describe the incident as their statements clashed with undeniable evidence like photos from the scene – he also obtained a medical report to fully understand the extent – and future impact – of Helen’s injury and the financial impact this would have on the rest of her life. 

Stephen ultimately secured £15,000 for Helen after successfully arguing that cruise staff should have operated a reasonable system of inspection that would have kept the floor clean from spillages and therefore would have prevented Helen’s fall.  

Helen said: “From start to finish Stephen gave me straightforward advice and I always understood my position.

“To be honest I didn’t think I would get anything or if I did I thought it might cover the holiday cost if I was lucky. But I'm more than happy with the outcome and felt well looked after.

“If TUI had put in place everything they had promised, I probably wouldn’t have made a claim.

“Hopefully, if this happens again to someone else, TUI will treat the person with kindness and offer better assistance than they gave me.”

If you'd like to learn more about how our specialist team could help with your accident abroad claim you can call us on 0333 200 5925 or fill in our brief enquiry form.