A holidaymaker who suffered kidney failure after he ate a burger contaminated with E. coli has won £750,000 in compensation from the tour operator.

Carl Riley, 46, was staying with his girlfriend at a hotel in Egypt on what they hoped would be the ‘holiday of a lifetime’. Mr Riley ate the burger at a beach barbecue organised by staff of the hotel. Soon afterwards, he was struck down with diarrhoea and severe stomach pains. Instead of recovering after a day or two, the illness continued for weeks.

Mr Riley was still unwell when the couple returned to the UK and he had lost a stone in weight. A few months later he suffered a heavy nosebleed as a result of very high blood pressure. Shortly afterwards he was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure. He had to spend three weeks in hospital receiving blood transfusions.

Eventually, it was discovered that Mr Riley had contracted a rare blood disorder because of the E. coli bug. He now has to travel to hospital three times a week for dialysis treatment.

As one would expect, Mr Riley’s life has been severely affected. He has split up from his girlfriend and is no longer able to work. He feels extremely weak, angry and depressed and the quality of his life is significantly diminished.

The tour operator, First Choice Holidays, accepted liability but Mr Riley had to fight a two-year legal battle before his negligence claim was eventually settled out of court. The £750,000 compensation is to cover his loss of earnings, both past and future, as well as the cost of travelling to hospital for dialysis sessions and assistance in maintaining his home.