Bed bug infestations have steadily been on the rise in the past few years. As anyone who has stayed in an infested hotel room can attest, being the victim of a bed bug infestation is disgusting, unimaginable, and traumatic. It is unfortunate that sleeping or traveling in areas that others have slept in or been puts individuals at risk for itchy and painful bed bug bites and marks. Making matters worse, the bites from bed begs can get infected, lead to scarring, or other problems.
The average bed bug is the size of an apple seed and can live in chairs, beds, luggage, clothing, bedding, and couches. They have a brownish-red color and can also live inside of walls, allowing them to come and go from one room to the other. Even though bed bug bites are typically just annoying, they can also be painful and can wake people from their sleep. They pose a serious health concern to humans because some of their bites may not appear for weeks. The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) reports that bites from a bed bug are able to be treated with antiseptic cream or lotion, as well as an antihistamine (to help with itching). They also can turn into a serious problem when the victim of the bites scratches them excessively, which can leave skin open to infection and allergic reaction. This, in turn, can cause scarring in extreme cases.
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Even after you have escaped an infested room, one of the main problems with a bed bug incident is that the bed bugs are extremely difficult to get rid of once you have encountered them. They may hitch a ride in your bags, clothing, and luggage. Because of that, they will oftentimes come home with you. Then, the infestation can occur in your own home or apartment, causing you to incur significant expenses to rid your dwelling of these pests.
You will likely also incur expenses getting medical treatment for the bed bug bites you have experienced. You will likely go to the emergency room at a hospital or an urgent care center immediately after the bites occur. Then, you may incur expenses to have follow-up treatments for the injuries all over your body. You will also incur expenses for medication and insecticide that is used to spray after there has been an infestation. These expenses can add up and that can present problems, especially if your budget is already stretched.
If you have come into contact with bed bugs while they were staying at a hotel, you may be wondering if you can sue for compensation. We might have good news for you.
In Virginia, a hotel owner owes a duty to keep its occupants reasonably safe from certain dangers. Included in those dangers are bed bugs. Stated simply, a hotel owner must take steps to remove a danger of which it is aware of which it should be aware. That would include dangers presented by bed bugs if the hotel knew or should have known that bed bugs were present.
That raises a question: how would a hotel know that it has bed bugs? A hotel might have this knowledge or notice for a variety of reasons. It may be the case that other hotel occupants have reported bed bug bites or complained about being bitten by bed bugs. Perhaps a hotel received bad reviews from guests who provide notice that they have been bitten by bed bugs. It could be more obvious, such as if a hotel’s employees saw bed bugs while changing bed clothes or cleaning. The hotel may have called a pest control company to treat a recent infestation.
If you are able to show that your bites were from bed bites, that you stayed at the hotel, that the hotel had bed bugs, and that you were bitten, you might be able to recover money damages for the harms and losses you suffered.
Virginia law will entitle you to recover compensation for a number of different types of harms if you can prove your bed bug case. You could claim your out-of-pocket expenses for your medical bills. This would include money for past medical expenses you incurred as well as any medical expenses you may incur in the future that a doctor determines are necessary.
You will be entitled to recover for any past and future lost wages you have incurred as a result of dealing with your injuries. Although probably rare in a bed bug case, you would be entitled to recover any lost future earning capacity that may arise as a result of your injuries.
You would also be entitled to recover noneconomic damages for the harms you suffered. You could recover money for inconvenience from the bed bug incident, and that could include the hassle factor involved with having to deal with the problems and injuries you experienced.
You could also recover for any scarring and associated embarrassment that resulted from your injuries. If permanent scarring occurs from the bites, the embarrassment factor can be particularly profound.
You could recover from pain and suffering from dealing with bed bug bites. This amount can depend on the extent of the harm you have suffered. It could include various types of mental anguish, such as increased anxiety and depression. It could include the pain of having to deal with painful bites and the treatment you have to endure to deal with those.
All in all, dealing with bed bugs will be a terrible but preventable experience. Hotels must take steps to prevent these types of inexcusable events from happening in the first place. And when they do happen, hotels must be held responsible for the harms that result.
Claims against hotels can sometimes be resolved without filing a lawsuit. But if the hotel and its insurance company take unreasonable positions and are not willing to pay the amount that is due, we have taken our cases all the way through trial to get our clients the money justice they deserve.
Our attorneys have experience handling bed bug claims against hotels and motels. We can help you get the justice you deserve.
Contact our attorneys today for a free consultation if you have been bitten by bed bugs at a hotel or motel.
Call 434-817-3100 or complete a Case Evaluation form