A widow is seeking to sue Airbnb for £1.2million after her husband died of an infection allegedly at a rented property. Sandra Bermingham has set up a crowdfunding page to help pay legal fees and continue her six-year fight for compensation from the American company.
Sandra and her husband Paul went on a Christmas vacation to a farmhouse they had rented in Gozo, Malta, in 2016 from Airbnb.
The couple and their two children Darragh, 10, and Kate, 12, had booked a two-week holiday over the Christmas period in 2015.
Paul contracted Legionnaires’ disease from contaminated water, allegedly from the property’s hot tub, and died shortly after returning from vacation.
A coroner at an inquest ruled her cause of death was Legionella Pneumonia.
Sandra then filed a lawsuit against the company, which did not accept responsibility for her death.
Sandra said: “They haven’t shown any following or concern for people who rent houses through their site.
“All they care about is making money from bookings. It left me speechless how ruthless and indifferent they are.
She also said: “Paul only went in the hot tub once on New Years Eve and he was in the water for a few seconds.
READ MORE: Harry ‘freaked out’ after Meghan ‘threatened to dump him’ – new claim
Sandra is claiming £1.2million for lost earnings which was calculated on the amount she and her husband would have earned until retirement.
She added: “‘At every turn they have tried to frustrate me and do not want to accept any responsibility for the death of my husband and the upheaval that has been caused in my family’s life,’ she said.
“Once, when I tried to speak with their lawyers, I was told that they were all on vacation.
“This is a large, multi-billion dollar company and they claim no one was available to talk to.”
An Airbnb spokesperson 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 contact with representatives of family about it.
“The safety of our community is a priority and with over one billion guest arrivals in Airbnb listings to date, isolated incidents are exceptionally rare.”
Sandra has a GoFundMe page to help pay for her family’s legal bills.
Comments are closed.