A lawyer has filed a lawsuit worth nearly $700,000 against an Alberta tour company after a guided Tanzania mountain-climbing trip. The California woman sought out the tour company because of their high reputation, but she now alleges that the expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro between Feb. 26 and March 3 involved on-going problems. The trip also involved an incident where her daughter and a companion were allegedly injected with drugs and robbed.
After the alleged robbery, both the victims finished the trip because that was the fastest way to get off the mountain. The lawyer had struggled with the altitude so was no longer with the group during this time. Once the group came down, they reported the matter to law enforcement. They then went to a medical clinic, where medical professionals confirmed they had been injected with some type of shot and gave them medication in order to prevent HIV infections.
Further charges in the document included allegations that a guide smoked marijuana, which is illegal in Tanzania. In addition, the guide was allegedly employed by third-party firm although the Alberta company claims that it employs tour guides directly. The lawyer explained that she filed the lawsuit because she was very upset with how the incident was handled.
The company has stated it will not comment on the case due to the pending litigation. However, the owner confirmed that he plans to fight the charges. The civil litigation against the company is still pending, and no claims have been verified.
When a company advertises a service, clients expect them to fulfill their promises. However, in some cases, the company fails to follow safe methods of operation. A lawyer might be able to help clients take legal action in such a case.
Source: CBC News, “Alberta tour operator faces lawsuit over African misadventure“, April 24, 2014
