Over the past decade, the city of San Francisco has experienced a
sizeable outgrowth of bed bugs in hotels, apartment complexes,
hospitals and other places where individuals are susceptible to
bites. Making matters worse, bed bugs have proven to be
extremely resilient and immune to pesticides and other sprays commonly
used to kill insects. The end result of the infestation of
bed bugs has left many San Francisco residents, tourists and visitors
helpless and with bites often numbering in the hundreds.
The bed bug attorneys at the Bed Bug Legal Group specialize in
assisting victims of bed bug bites. Unlike other firms, we
focus primarily in bed bug litigation and have successfully represented
hundreds of individuals in protecting their rights.
What are Bed Bugs?
Most of us have heard the phrase “don’t let the bed bugs bite,” and
imagined that bed bugs are merely a storybook myth left to the
imagination of children. Unfortunately, bed bugs are very
real and have led to countless property damage, physical trauma and
emotional harm. Because of the fact that most people have
never been exposed to bed bugs, these bites are often wrongly
categorized as fleas, ticks or other insects.
Bed Bugs are small insects usually measuring about the size of a pea
and in the shape of an oval. The feed off human and animal
blood, and will bite their prey in order to get the food they
need. They are generally a brown color, but can take on a
reddish hue after they are done feeding.
What makes bed bugs even more dangerous is the fact that they emit a
numbing agent onto their prey before every bite. This means
that a sleeping individual can be bit hundreds, or even thousands of
times without ever feeling a thing.
Where do Bed Bugs Live?
Bed bugs require human and animal blood in order to survive.
There was a time when bed bugs were mostly confined to tropical
regions, but have recently adapted to human environments, where they
thrive in the climates inside homes and hotels. They can live
in the smallest crevice inside a bed, walls, furniture and any other
place which shields them from human contact. They can survive
several months without feeding, and are easily transported from one
home to the next. In fact, humans have unintentionally caused
the outbreak of bed bugs, as they commute inside luggage and clothing
and spread from one dwelling to another. Some bed bugs are
even brought into homes by birds that carry them long distances.
Are Hotels Responsible for Bed Bug Bites?
Hotels should be inspected on a regular basis and should be cleaned
every time a new visitor enters a room. In fact, California
Law specifically states that every part of a hotel is required to be
kept in a condition free of bed bugs and other insects.
Therefore, hotel operators are required by law to make sure their
hotels are clean and sanitary. When hotels fail in this duty,
they are, as a matter of law, responsible to their patrons which have
suffered as a result of their negligence.
Alarmingly, hotels have often decided to absolve themselves of this
duty and often turn complaining customers away. Our bed bug
attorneys have fought back against infested hotels, and we have been
able to procure monetary compensation for victims of bed bugs. We
practice in the San Francisco area and our San Francisco lawyers can
help you if you have been the victim of bed bug bites.
Can I Sue My Landlord or Property Owner for Bed Bugs in My Apartment?
Unlike hotels, property owners do not have a duty to constantly check
the premises to make sure it is free of bed bugs. However,
they do have a duty to make sure the residence is safe and
habitable. Many landlords argue that the tenant is the source
of the infestation and will place the burden of fixing the problem onto
the tenant. Other times, landlords simply try cheap and
ineffective measures in order to eradicate the infestation, only to
make it worse.
The fact remains that bed bugs do not confine themselves to a single
unit or dwelling, and will spread like wildfire from one unit to the
next, leaving tenants hopeless and at a loss. Our San
Francisco bed bug attorneys have protected the rights of these tenants,
often joining entire units together in a single lawsuit against the
property owner. We can even get compensation in situations
where tenants have not been bitten, but are in constant fear of bed
bugs.
Contact a Bed Bug Attorney in San Francisco
Trust an attorney who specializes in dealing with bed bug bites, and
who understands the intricacies involved with bed bug
lawsuits. We have protected victims of bed bugs throughout
Northern California and San Francisco Bay area including the cities of Oakland, Richmond, San Jose,
Berkeley, Santa Clara Valley, Fremont, Santa Cruz, Salinas, and Marine County and will work tirelessly in order to protect your
rights. Contact us today for a free case evaluation of your claim.
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