Woman sues Airbnb for $1.3M after her husband fell sick and died after using 'contaminated' hot tub
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND: A woman is planning to sue Airbnb after her husband died from Legionnaires' Disease, which she believes he caught from using a contaminated hot tub at their rented holiday home in Malta.
Sandra Bermingham, 54, from New Zealand is planning to sue the US-owned holiday home booking site for £1.2M ($1.3M). The mother of two has also up a GoFundMe page to garner help to continue her six-year-long legal battle. Her husband, Paul, died just a few days after returning from their family Christmas holiday in Gozo, Malta, in 2016.
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Bermingham claimed her husband got the disease after using a contaminated hot tub at their rented house which they booked on Airbnb. Bermingham, her husband, and their children, Darragh, 10, and Kate, 12, used Airbnb to book a two-week vacation in Gozo during Christmas 2015. The house was fully furnished and had everything the family wanted. At the property, there was a room with a hot tub which was mostly used by children. Paul decided to use to hot tub but soon came out as the water in the tub was too cold.
"Paul only went in the hot tub once on New Year's Eve and he was in the water for just seconds. The bacteria is airborne and I believe he was infected soon after he checked in to the farmhouse." Bermingham said.
After returning to their home in Islington, North London, Paul fell sick and was forced to admit to Whittington Hospital. However, his kids, who also used the hot tub were completely fine. “He was so ill and they had to put him in an induced coma, and he never recovered. The hospital did all it could but could not save him. We were utterly distraught that he could be taken from us,” Bermingham said.
Paul’s death was ruled as Legionella pneumonia by the coroner at an inquest. Legionnaires' disease is a deadly lung infection caused by Legionella bacteria. As per medical experts, the infection is transmitted through water and can’t be transmitted from person to person. "I do not believe the jacuzzi had been properly maintained and it had not been used for some time before our arrival," Bermingham said.
The death of her husband left her shattered. His death did not just affect her mentally but also worsened their financial condition. With no savings in hand, Bermingham stopped working as a make-up artist and was forced to go live with her brother in Auckland, New Zealand.
Since 2016, she has been battling against the US-based company for compensation for her husband’s demise. Despite all she did, the company was ignoring her claims and was refusing to pay compensation.
'At every turn, they have tried to frustrate me and do not want to accept any liability for my husband's death and the turmoil that has been caused in my family's life she said. 'On one occasion when I tried to speak with their lawyers I was told they were all on holiday. This is a major multi-billion-dollar company and they claim there was no one available to speak.'
Mrs. Bermingham said that even the Maltese government has refused to help her out. She claimed the authorities declined to hand over the results of the test carried on the water of the hot tub. "Airbnb did not investigate this case and never offered any kind of support to my family. No compensation has been forthcoming and I am on my own to obtain justice for what happened. Since I will not give up, I need funding for court proceedings to fight Airbnb in Malta for compensation. I want the world to know how Airbnb works, making tons of money off our backs and waiving any responsibility when things go terribly wrong in the houses they earn their billions with." She said.
A spokesman for Airbnb said: "We were heartbroken to learn of this tragic incident at the time and our thoughts remain with the Bermingham family following such an unimaginable loss. We remain in touch with the family's representatives on this matter. The safety of our community is a priority and with more than one billion guest arrivals in Airbnb listings to date, isolated incidents are exceptionally rare."