Newlywed suffers life-changing injuries in freak fall on TUI holiday in Tenerife

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Wendy Brown, 57, plunged ten feet from the unguarded staircase at the La Palma and Teneguia Princess Hotel in Tenerife three days into a break with husband Gary. The mum-of-two sustained serious brain and spinal injuries and was placed in an induced coma in hospital on the island, reports Cheshire Live.

We had only been married six months when we went on holiday to Tenerife, and we returned home with our lives in pieces

Gary Brown, Wendy’s husband

The couple remained in Tenerife while Wendy underwent brain and spinal surgery, before she was taken by air ambulance back to the UK.

She spent time at a hospital in Manchester and a rehabilitation centre, before being discharged home and her injuries mean she has had to give up her job as an administrator.

Gary, who had only wed Wendy six months before the horror accident, said: “It has been an incredibly stressful three years and I am still finding it difficult to come to terms with what my wife has gone through and what the future means for us all.

“We had only been married six months when we went on holiday to Tenerife, and we returned home with our lives in pieces.”

Gary has since called serious injury experts at Irwin Mitchell to investigate what happened during the holiday, which was booked with TUI UK Limited, and to help Wendy access the specialist rehabilitation required to support her ongoing needs.

Following legal discussions, an agreement regarding liability has now been reached between TUI and the family’s legal team.

The agreement has been approved by the High Court paving the way for mum Wendy to access funds which will ensure she can continue with the rehabilitation process.

“All we want is for Wendy to receive the best possible care she can to make the most of life. It’s such a relief that this agreement has been reached and we can now look at getting Wendy the support she needs,” Gary added.

The fall happened in January 2018 and, since then, Wendy’s injuries have changed her life significantly.

Gary, who lives with Wendy in Bollington, Cheshire, said: “We hope this agreement means we can now start to look to the future a little bit more.

“We now call on TUI to work with us and our legal team so we can get all the care and support Wendy needs in place as quickly as possible.”

Cheryl Palmer-Hughes, the specialist international serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell representing Wendy and Gary, said after the hearing: “This is a devastating case, with Wendy’s family still struggling to come to terms with her life-changing injuries.

“What was meant to be an enjoyable holiday turned into a complete nightmare, and while nothing can change what happened, we are pleased to have successfully reached this agreement.

“Our focus will now turn to ensuring Wendy has access to the expert treatment she now requires to maximise her recovery and help her live as independently as possible.

“It’s also vital that tour operators learn lessons from what happened to Wendy to improve safety for tourists.”

A TUI spokesman said: “We remain very sorry to hear of Ms Brown’s experience on her holiday in Tenerife. As this is now an ongoing legal matter, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.”

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