A Toronto family is suing several entities after their vacation to the Dominican Republic turned fatal. The Gougeon family alleges negligence in food preparation and handling at the resort, leading to the deaths of their mother and son.
A family vacation to the Dominican Republic turned into a nightmare for a Toronto family when a mother and her son died after falling ill. The Gougeon family had booked an all-inclusive trip to Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham Resort through Air Transat and Transat Tours Canada Inc. During their stay from December 28, 2023, to January 3, 2024, the entire family fell ill with symptoms of nausea and vomiting after consuming food from the resort's buffet.
Despite the severity of their illness, the resort's medical clinic, Clinica Canela, allegedly refused to send assistance to their room, demanding they come to the clinic themselves. After being taken to the clinic, the family was transported to a local hospital by ambulance. Sadly, Oliver, the son, suffered cardiac arrest and passed away. April, the mother, also experienced breathing difficulties, was placed on a ventilator, and subsequently died. A coroner's report concluded that April and Oliver died from secondary causes related to food poisoning. Stephen Gougeon, the surviving father and husband, returned to Canada without his wife and son, deeply grieving their loss. He recalled the pain of flying home without his family, highlighting the stark contrast between their planned relaxing vacation and the tragic turn of events. The family has filed a $10 million lawsuit against several entities, including Wyndham Hotel Canada II Inc., Air Transat Holidays A.T. Inc., Transat Tours Canada Inc., Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham, and Clinica Canela. They allege that the defendants acted negligently in food preparation and handling, leading to the family's illness. The lawsuit points to evidence of expired ingredients, improper storage, and cross-contamination, stating that food served at the buffet was not kept at the required temperature. Additionally, the lawsuit accuses the resort and clinic of failing to respond appropriately and in a timely manner to the family's situation. They claim that initial complaints and signs of distress from the Gougeons were dismissed or downplayed, which could have indicated an early medical emergency. Meghan Hull Jacquin, the lawyer representing the Gougeon family, expressed the shock at the extent of negligence in this case, stating that the family was failed on multiple levels. Jacquin emphasized that the family is seeking justice not only for themselves but also to shed light on the events, effect change in the failed processes and procedures, and potentially prevent other vacationers from experiencing similar tragedies.
Dominican Republic Food Poisoning Lawsuit Resort Tragedy Negligence Medical Negligence
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