One tourist’s recent trip to Disneyland didn’t end the way she would have hoped. Ivy Eldridge allegedly sustained hundreds of bed bug bites across her body while staying at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. She’s filed a personal injury lawsuit against the hotel and the Walt Disney Company to recover compensation for the physical and emotional harm she’s suffered.
Common Bed Bug Injuries
Bed bugs are small parasitic insects that survive on the blood of other creatures. They’re drawn to warm areas and carbon dioxide. As a result, they’re typically found in beds, couches, clothing, and other items that frequently come into contact with humans.
Bed bugs don’t necessarily bite. Instead, they burrow into the skin of warm-blooded animals, including human beings. Once they locate a blood vessel under the skin they begin to feed. The injuries caused by bed bugs can be relatively minor or quite severe.
Commonly reported bed bug injuries include:
- Rashes
- Allergic reaction
- Anemia
- Infection, and
- Tissue damage.
You’re not only at risk of physical injury when you suffer a bed bug bite. The consequences of a bite often have significant emotional and psychological consequences, as well. It’s not uncommon for bed bug bite victims to experience anxiety, depression, and fear. It can be difficult for victims to cope with their injuries and live a normal life.
Can a Hotel Be Responsible for Bed Bugs?
Absolutely. Hotels are a prime location for bed bug infestations. It just takes one hotel guest to bring bed bugs into the room. The more people who use a hotel room, the greater the chance of infestation. Hotels have an obligation to keep rooms as clean as possible to prevent infestations and injuries.
California law imposes specific legal responsibilities on hotels in the state. Hotels must ensure that beds, mattresses, sheets, blankets, and bedding “shall be kept in a clean, dry, and sanitary condition free from…the infection of lice, bedbugs, or other insects.” Once a guest checks out of a room, the hotel also has a legal duty to clean it and change the bed sheets.
However, hotels can only be liable for bed bug injuries if they were aware (or should have been aware) of the infestation. Knowledge can be actual or constructive.
Actual Knowledge: The hotel was explicitly told about the infestation and/or bed bugs have been personally observed by hotel staff.
Constructive Knowledge: Hotel property shows signs of a bedbug infestation. This could include holes in sheets, curtains, or furniture in the room.
Hotels can be liable for injuries suffered by guests if they knew or should have known about the bed bugs but didn’t take the proper steps to solve the problem.
What Compensation Can Bed Bug Bite Victims Get?
Bed bugs are small, but they can do a lot of damage. Bite injuries can require extensive medical care. Those medical bills can add up quickly. If bites are severe, victims may have trouble dealing with disfigurement, scarring, and other changes to their bodies. These physical and/or psychological injuries can keep victims from enjoying their lives or going to work. Filing a lawsuit can help to limit the financial stress imposed on bed bug bite victims.
In California, victims of bed bug bites may be able to recover compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Emotional and psychological trauma
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Embarrassment
- Loss of enjoyment of life, and more.
Negligent hotels can be held fully responsible for damages caused by bed bug injuries.
Have you suffered injuries because of bed bugs in Los Angeles? Is a negligent landlord or hotel to blame? Do not hesitate to contact the Los Angeles Accident Law Center for immediate legal assistance. Our attorneys are prepared to help you fight for the compensation you need and deserve.