Did you purchase furniture from American Furniture Warehouse (AFW)? Was the furniture infested with bed bugs? If you unknowingly purchased furniture that was infested with bed bugs, you and your family likely suffered bed bug injuries. If so, you might have grounds to pursue a claim against the furniture store. If you and your family suffered bed bug injuries and you are considering the possibility of filing a claim against AFW, do not hesitate to contact the Bed Bug Legal Group as soon as possible. Our bed bug lawyers are ready to provide you with all the information that you need to pursue your bed bug lawsuit against American Furniture Warehouse. If you would like to discuss your current situation with our experts on bed bug claims, do not hesitate to contact our bed bug law firm today.
Bed Bug Basics
Bed bugs are small insects that feed on human blood. Once they are carried into your home, they hide in a number of places, such as furniture, clothing, carpets, luggage, walls, and even floorboards. In general, bed bugs hide in the smallest of crevices – making them almost impossible to identify. In many cases, unsuspecting victims bring bed bugs into their homes in recently purchased furniture. Although it sometimes makes sense that furniture can come with pests (e.g. the furniture is donated, picked up from the street, or used), most people never expect their furniture to be infested by bed bugs – especially if it is coming straight from a recognized furniture store.
Getting Bed Bugs from Furniture Stores
Unfortunately, it is common for furniture stores to sell furniture that is infested with bed bugs. If you purchased any piece of furniture that you later realized was infested by bed bugs, do not hesitate to take action as soon as possible. You might have grounds to file a claim against the furniture store. Did the furniture purchased at American Furniture Warehouse come with bed bugs? If so, do not hesitate to contact our bed bug law firm as soon as possible. Our bed bug lawyers will evaluate your current situation and provide you with all the information that you need to learn more about filing a bed bug lawsuit against the furniture store.
AFW Liability for Bed Bug in Furniture
Is American Furniture Warehouse liable for selling you infested furniture? Is the furniture store liable for the injuries that you and your family suffered? When you purchase anything from anywhere, there are a few warranties that apply. For instance, based on express warranty, any furniture that you purchase is expected to be safe to use by humans. Based on the implied warranty of merchantability, the furniture should be able to be used for its specific purpose (bed bug infestations are violations of this warranty). Just based on these two warranties, the furniture store could be held liable. However, liability can also be established based on negligence.
To establish liability based on negligence, there must be a duty of care, a breach of duty, a cause, and specific harm. For instance, furniture stores have the duty to provide their consumers with products that are fit for use (e.g. they must be safe to use). By selling furniture that is infested by bed bugs, the furniture store is breaching their duty of care to their consumers. This breach of duty causes their consumers to be exposed to bed bugs, which can then lead to harm – in the form of bed bug bites, infections, and allergic reactions, for example.
If you would like to learn more about American Furniture Warehouse’s liability for selling you infested furniture, do not hesitate to contact our law firm as soon as possible. Our knowledgeable bed bug lawyers are ready to provide you with the information and guidance that you need to pursue a bed bug lawsuit against AFW.
Filing a Lawsuit and Receiving Compensation
Can I sue AFW? Can I sue American Furniture Warehouse if they sold me furniture infested by bed bugs? Could you pursue a claim if you and your family were harmed as a result of the infested furniture that you unknowingly purchased? Yes; you have the right to file a lawsuit against American Furniture Warehouse if they sold you furniture that was infested by bed bugs. If you file a lawsuit, you could also receive compensation. Although every claim is different, victims of bed bug infestations are sometimes eligible to recover the following forms of compensation: medical expenses; lost wages; pain and suffering; punitive damages; property damage; extermination costs; legal fees. If you would like to learn more about the specific type and amount of compensation that you might be eligible to receive, do not hesitate to contact our law firm as soon as possible. Our bed bug lawyers are ready to fight for your right to sue and recover the compensation that you deserve; contact our law firm to speak with our bed bug lawsuit lawyers today.
What Should You Do?
What should I do if the furniture that I purchased from a furniture store was infested with bed bugs? How many times have you asked yourself that question? Without a doubt, you have the right to take action; however, it can sometimes be difficult to find where to begin. Consider the following recommendations:
- Stay calm. It could be easy to think and act irrationally immediately after finding bed bugs in your furniture. Take a moment to breathe and think about your situation.
- Seek medical attention. As soon as you and your family begin experiencing bed bug bites or any other injuries related to exposure to bed bugs, seek medical attention. Your medical team will confirm that your injuries are caused by bed bugs.
- Take photos of your injuries. Take photos of all the physical harm you sustained due to the exposure to the bed bugs in your furniture.
- Take photos of the bed bugs in the furniture. Identify some of the hiding spots throughout your infested furniture and take photos of the bed bugs. If you can identify blood stains or fecal matter that proves the existence of bed bugs, take photos.
- Collect a sample of the bed bugs. If possible, collect a small sample of the bed bugs in a clear, sealable plastic bag.
- Get rid of the infestation. Contact a bed bug extermination expert to free your home of bed bugs.
- Contact American Furniture Warehouse (or whatever furniture store that sold you the infested furniture). Inform the store of the bed bug infestation found on the furniture that they sold you. Inform the store of the harm that you and your family suffered.
- Do not agree to a refund or any form of compensation. After contacting the furniture store, do not agree to a refund or any form of compensation. The furniture might make multiple offers. When customers agree to accept refunds or other offers of compensation, furniture stores often make them sign documents which prevent them from pursuing lawsuits.
- Keep records of all documents related to your purchase and the incident. This includes anything from receipts, medical bills, and correspondence between you and the furniture store.
- Seek legal assistance as soon as possible. Contact a law firm that handles bed bug claims against furniture stores.
For more information about what you should do after finding bed bugs in the furniture that you purchased from American Furniture Warehouse, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our bed bug law firm as soon as possible.
Understanding the Statute of Limitations
Did the furniture that you purchased from American Furniture Warehouse come with bed bugs? If so, you might be considering the possibility of pursuing a claim and fighting for your right to receive compensation. Without a doubt, you have the right to do so; however, you could lose this right if you fail to act within the time allowed by the statute of limitations. What statute of limitations applies to your claim? In California, personal injury claims (such as bed bug injury claims) are subject to a 2-year statute of limitations. What does this mean? Your claim must be filed within the 2 years allowed by the statute of limitations to ensure that your right to sue is preserved. In most instances, property damage can be pursued separately. If your exposure to bed bugs after purchasing infested furniture resulted in property damage, you have up to 3 years to pursue a property damage claim. Because many exceptions could apply and because you could lose your right to sue, it is essential that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible. Do not hesitate to contact our law firm to discuss the timelines that apply to your bed bug claim against American Furniture Warehouse.
Contact Our Law Firm Today
Are you ready to sue American Furniture Warehouse? If so, do not hesitate to contact our law firm at your earliest convenience. The experts at the Bed Bug Legal Group are ready to evaluate your current situation and provide you with the guidance that you need to file a claim and receive compensation. Our law firm offers both free consultations and free second opinions to all victims of bed bug injuries. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our bed bug attorneys will answer all your questions, address your claims, and ensure that you have access to all the information that you need to file your bed bug lawsuit against AFW. Whether you are interested in starting your claim or redirecting your claim (after it was negatively affected by an incompetent attorney), you could be certain that our attorneys can receive the maximum compensation for your case.
The free consultations and free second opinions discussed above are available to you free of cost because of our Zero-Fee guarantee. Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that you will never be required to pay any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. Because our law firm is also strictly based on contingency, our clients will never be expected to pay for anything until after our attorneys win their bed bug claims. If you do not win your lawsuit, you will not pay anything. To discuss your bed bug claim against AFW with our bed bug lawyers, contact our law firm today.
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