A man who was left needing surgery after he was “attacked” by a hotel worker while on a Tui holiday has been awarded £18,000 in compensation.
Ryan Mendelson, from Manchester, said he “fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes” after he was “kneed” by a member of staff from the entertainment team at the Hotel RIU Touareg in Cape Verde.
The 33-year-old was taken to a local hospital by ambulance and later underwent surgery to his right knee as a result of his injury.
Mr Mendelson said in a statement issued by law firm Hudgell Solicitors: “I was standing at the bar-pool area talking to two girls I’d met and, all of a sudden and completely out of nowhere, he came behind me and kneed me in the back of the knee.
“I felt my knee click, twist and go out of place, and I fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes.
“I was in a state of shock and couldn’t move.”
Other holidaymakers helped him stay cool by pouring water on him while a wheelchair was collected for him.
“Mum was distraught. There were no first-aiders around the pool and no hotel staff to help,” he claimed.
Mr Mendelson said he felt his knee ‘click, twist and go out of place’
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HUDGELL SOLICITORS
Mr Mendelson was unable to fly home from his two-week holiday when he had planned due to the incident.
He was also forced to book extra seats on his flight home in order to support his knee.
When he arrived back in the UK, an MRI scan revealed Mr Mendelson had torn a medial patellofemoral ligament and needed to have an operation.
“My knee’s still not 100 per cent and I still suffer the odd pain after surgery –often in cold weather,” he said.
Mr Mendelson was forced to book extra seats for his flight home to support his leg
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HUDGELL SOLICITORS
“I deal with it the best I can, and I also see a therapist once a week, which helps from a mental side of things.”
Accident abroad specialist Paul Rimmer, who was part of the legal team that represented Mr Mendelson, described it as a “extraordinary case that was tantamount to a physical assault from an employee working at a world-renowned hotel chain”.
RIU Hotels and Resorts has apologised for the “pain and distress caused” over what it called a “misguided attempt at a playful interaction” by a member of staff.
A spokesman said: “We are very sorry for the injury sustained by Mr Mendelson during his holiday.
“The incident stemmed from a misguided attempt at a playful interaction by a member of the hotel’s entertainment team and was never intended to cause harm.
“We recognise the pain and distress this caused and sincerely regret what happened.
“The matter has been fully investigated, and has now been settled with the customer.
“At RIU we are fully committed with the safety and wellbeing of our guests and make a daily effort to prevent incidents like this from happening.”