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Header photograph: illustrative poolside image, not H10 Itaca or evidence from this case.
A holidaymaker secured £2,500 in hotel accident compensation with Holiday Claims Bureau (HCB) after wooden decking gave way beside a plunge pool at H10 Itaca in Barcelona.
The accident happened on the last full day of her holiday. What should have been a last opportunity to relax before travelling home instead led to shoulder pain, difficulty with everyday tasks and a recovery lasting around five months.
The client’s name has been withheld to protect her privacy.
An accident on the final hotel stay
The client and her husband had booked a twelve-night package holiday through Cruise Nation. It included flights, two nights at H10 Itaca in Barcelona, a nine-night cruise around the Italian Riviera and France, and a final overnight hotel stay.
After the cruise, they returned to H10 Itaca, where they had stayed before sailing. While waiting to check in for their final night before flying home, she spent time by the hotel’s plunge pool.
As she stepped down onto the wooden decking, a plank gave way beneath her. Her left foot went through the deck and she fell forwards, putting out both hands to break the fall.
She reported that there were no warning signs to alert her to any defects in the decking. Another guest alerted reception, and hotel staff brought ice and water and allowed her to check in early so she could rest.
A friend photographed the accident location. Her account also records that the friend asked staff to mark other loose or broken decking planks. She did not receive professional medical treatment while abroad and spent the remainder of the day resting.
Pain followed her home
By the following day, she had developed pain and stiffness around her right shoulder and neck, with pins and needles in her right arm. The journey home was very uncomfortable.
Her right arm was her dominant arm, making the symptoms particularly disruptive to everyday activities. Around two weeks after the accident, she spoke to her GP and was prescribed medication and referred for physiotherapy.
A subsequent telephone physiotherapy consultation provided advice and exercises to do at home. The physiotherapy notes recorded shooting pain when moving her shoulder and intermittent pins and needles in the fingers of her right hand. She also tried heat and massage to help manage the discomfort.
Although she continued working without taking time off, she had to be cautious about her activities. At home, she did very little housework for around four to five weeks and relied on her husband for help.
In her account, she described how much she had looked forward to the holiday and the disappointment of returning home in pain. The accident affected both her remaining enjoyment of the break and her day-to-day life afterwards.
Around one week
The graze healed
The graze to her left leg resolved relatively quickly. The shoulder injury took much longer.
Around four to five weeks
Help with everyday tasks
She relied on her husband while her ability to manage household chores was restricted.
Around five months
Shoulder symptoms resolved
Pain and stiffness were particularly significant for about three months before gradually settling.
How Holiday Claims Bureau pursued the hotel accident claim
The hotel accommodation formed part of the package holiday. HCB pursued the claim for her fall on holiday against the package organiser, trading as Cruise Nation.
The claim alleged failures to inspect and maintain the decking, to ensure that the planks were properly supported, and to warn guests or cordon off the defective area before the accident.
It also relied on evidence from a Spanish legal expert about the hotel safety and maintenance standards applying locally, including in Catalonia. This formed part of the case presented against the holiday organiser.
An independent medical report obtained for the claim documented a soft tissue shoulder injury and assessed its duration and effect on daily life. The doctor considered the injuries and recovery period consistent with the reported fall, and the reported difficulties at home consistent and reasonable.
By the time of the medical assessment, the client had fully recovered, with no residual injury identified.
This gave the case a documented account of both the accident and its consequences: an uncomfortable journey home, disruption to daily life and a shoulder injury that persisted for months after the holiday ended.
A £2,500 settlement
The case settled in May 2026 for £2,500. The settlement brought the claim to a conclusion following an accident whose effects had continued well beyond the client’s return home.
This was the settlement agreed in this particular case. Another claim’s outcome and value depend on its own circumstances and evidence.
For guidance on having an injury abroad assessed, visit our holiday accident claims page.
