Bed Bug Infestations and Bed Bug Lawsuits

ed bug infestations and subsequent bed bug lawsuits are increasing. Although bed bug bites are not known to transmit disease, these pests do cause physical and mental health side effects and financial issues, which have resulted in many bed bug lawsuits. Bed bug attorneys have filed lawsuits against hotels and resorts, including a Disney bed bug lawsuit. Bed bug complaints also involve cruise ships and airlines, condos and schools. And these pests aren’t limited to beds: they hide in seats and clothes and make their way to furniture stores and recently a movie theater. They are found almost anywhere.

Bed Bug Infestations Increasing

The U.S. is experiencing an alarming resurgence (populations dropped dramatically during the mid-20th century) in bed bug Infestations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) . Experts believe the increase is associated with greater resistance to available pesticides, increased international and domestic travel, and lack of knowledge regarding control and elimination of bed bugs.
 

Bed Bug Lawsuits

Bed bug attorneys say it relatively easy to prove an infestation case against a hotel or apartment building that failed its duty with respect to eradicating the pests. (See “What to Do” LINK below.) If a facility is not diligent about watching for bedbug infestation, the court may consider them to be negligent. The majority of successful bed bug lawsuits against hotels and other properties occur when guests were not warned of bed bugs on the property, and/or management and employees failed to follow proper procedures in order to keep the property safe from bed bugs.

Historically, bedbug bite victims would often be offered compensation by way of “points” to stay at another property or given a few hundred dollars. More recently, lawsuits have resulted in six-figure settlements.
 

Disney Bed Bug Lawsuit

A couple in New York filed a bed bug lawsuit against Disney Vacations, claiming they suffered significant physical and emotional distress in the months that followed their ruined vacation. Plaintiff Masciotti-Hamedl claims she woke at the resort in September 2016 to “bugs crawling all over the bed, linens, and surrounding walls of her room.” According to USA Today (Nov 5, 2017) the lawsuit, originally filed in Dutchess County (N.Y.) Court in June and will be decided in the Southern District Court of New York, claims that Disney failed to “exercise reasonable care and breached its duty” to properly manage, operate and maintain Disney's Vero Beach Resort by keeping it free from hazardous conditions. The plaintiffs are seeking between $100,000 and $1 million in damages.
 

Bed Bug Settlements

A jury in September 2015 awarded $100,000 to a woman who filed a lawsuit against the hotel chain Red Roof Inn. The Washington Post reported that Stacey Belle woke up itching. When she turned on her lights, she saw welts covering her arms and hands, lifted her pillow and found bedbugs crawling. Her lawsuit claimed that Oxon Hill motel had previously found bedbugs in guest rooms and treated infestations, but her room was left unchecked.

A family in Maryland was awarded $225,000 after Ms. Jackson realized that her son’s itchy spots on his skin were not allergies (as the child’s pediatrician and dermatologist suggested) but bed bugs that came from the bed frames she bought from Calidad Furniture & Linen Inc.
 

Bed Bug Side Effects

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) belong to the category of blood-sucking ectoparasites (external parasites) that are similar to head lice. The EPA list of bed bug side effects include:
 

• Allergic reactions to their bites, which can be severe. Effects ranging from no reaction to a small bite mark to, in rare cases, anaphylaxis (severe, whole-body reaction);
• Skin problems such as blisters that arise from profuse scratching of the bites ;
• Secondary skin infections from the bite reaction, such as impetigo, ecthyma, and lymphangitis.;
• Mental health impacts, including anxiety, insomnia and systemic reactions, on people living in infested homes;
• Bites that may result in keloid (permanent) scarring, and serious bacterial and viral infections

What to Do If You are a Victim of Bed Bugs
 

• Collect Evidence. Take pictures of bed bugs in the mattress of the bed, furniture, carpeting and walls. Also take pictures of the bite marks you have experienced. Ask the hotel manager to send a representative to the room while you are there and ask for a copy of that report;
• Get medical attention and document your bites. Sometimes bites cause an allergic reaction that needs medical treatment;
• Keep all pertinent records regarding your stay. This includes receipts and the names of any insurance adjusters. File an incident report and include the number and name of the person who is conducting the report;
• Contact the local county health department: Ask the local county health and sanitation department to visit the site and ask them for a copy of the report;
• Contact the hotel management and file an injury report. Obtain all pertinent information. This includes hotel manager's name, and their direct phone number or email address. Find out when the room was last inspected and cleaned, and names of the cleaning company or cleaning staff.
• Seek legal advice from an experienced bed bug law firm.

 

Bed Bug Legal Help

If you or a loved one has suffered similar damages or injuries, please fill in our form and your complaint will be sent to a lawyer who may evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.
Last updated on Dec-4-19