ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — An Ann Arbor hotel is being accused of failing to properly maintain its pool, which allegedly caused a serious infection for a former guest.
Watch Simon Shaykhet's video report:
In a lawsuit filed in Washtenaw County court, the hotel is being blamed for failing to properly maintain its pool water.
Images shared with us by Alex Williams are now part of the lawsuit, which alleges negligence on the part of Residence Inn on West Huron in Downtown Ann Arbor.
Williams said she visited the pool during a stay on June 24 when she was unknowingly exposed to harmful conditions.
“It’s very unsanitary. What bothers me is other people that don’t know," Williams said.
She said, according to documents from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, the hotel knew there was no chlorine or bromine in the pool, and there was an unsafe pH level.
Attorney Ven Johnson added that led to bacteria entering an open wound.
“Alexis developed a real pain and swelling in her right knee," John said.
“It was kind of outrageous. The pain was excruciating," Williams added.
The lawsuit alleges the hotel failed to close down the pool and take steps to correct the issue or warn others. As a result, Williams allegedly developed an antibiotic-resistant infection, requiring hospitalization and several surgeries.
"Zero chlorine was discovered when the health department and EGLE tested a week later," Johnson said.
After hearing from Williams and her attorney, I contacted media relations with the parent company for the hotel and visited the location in person, but they would not allow us inside to see the pool.
In the meantime, Williams said she's left with loss of function in her leg, medical bills and the pain of knowing this was preventable.
Williams is asking for an amount of more than $25,000 in damages as part of her lawsuit. We are still awaiting a response from hotel ownership.
