The owners of this glass door aren’t taking chances© Bradley Gordon
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What sounds at first blush like a klutzy Bridget Jones kind of moment, has turned into a contentious lawsuit that could set a precedent with significant ramifications for the travel industry.
British tourist Moira Japp was staying at an exclusive, luxury hotel in the Caribbean when she went out onto the balcony to read a book, closing the glass door behind her. The phone rang inside the room, and in her haste Mrs. Japp forgot that the door was closed and walked into it. Normally this would be the kind of thing that you either don’t own up to at all, or make light of, but because the door was not made of safety glass in this instance it shattered and Mrs. Japp, who was wearing a bikini at the time, suffered potentially life-threatening lacerations all over her body.
She launched a lawsuit against Virgin Holidays, who had organized the trip, and was awarded damages of approximately $40,000, but the case is now being appealed. The contentious issue is whether travel companies in the United Kingdom can be expected to ensure properties in foreign countries meet British health and safety standards when selecting their product offering.
Find out more about this from News.com.au