Average Bed Bug Case Settlement – Value of Infestation Lawsuit
Bed bug outbreaks have risen in number across the country, placing residents of apartment complexes, hotel guests, motel visitors, and others in danger of severe bites. Our law firm helps hundreds of individuals who have suffered severe bite injuries due to bed bug infestations that have been caused by hotel managers and apartment complex owners who fail to properly inspect for and exterminate bed bugs. The creatures can cause painful damage to the body as well as potentially ruin property and belongings. Clients need a lot of information about their cases, and they ask questions like:
- How much is a bed bug case worth?
- What is the average settlement of a bed bug case?
- What is the compensation value of a bed bug lawsuit?
- What is the average value of a bed bug case?
When you travel or move, you should take care to investigate your room or living quarters for signs of bed bugs. They tend to nest in dark, enclosed areas like behind headboards, baseboards, and picture frames, and can even rest in the seams of the mattress and in the crevices of the box spring. Telltale indicators of bed bugs include dark brown or black stains or mounds left behind as defecation, white eggs, and shedded skins.
If you do happen to be bitten by bed bugs and did not notice them before, you should immediately document all the evidence as quickly as possible and alert management. In the event of bites and other damages, you will be able to file a personal injury claim against the responsible party. It is important to note that every personal injury case regarding beg bugs is different, as each one comprises a unique set of factors which can play an important part in establishing a settlement amount for the injuries suffered.
Below is a list of the most important factors in determining the value of a bed bug lawsuit. Each one is briefly explained for your convenience.
Important Elements in Determining the Value of a Bed Bug Bite Lawsuit
- The Number of Bites – If you were bitten only once, you may not be able to claim that it was from a bed bug; however, if you sustained numerous bites over your body, and the bites were in a diagonal or zig zag pattern, you have a greater chance of winning a bigger settlement. Additionally, the length of time that bedbugs were present in your hotel or residence during your stay can be a helpful factor.
- Medical Expenses incurred – These expenses include emergency room and urgent care visits, overnight hospital stays, dermatologist appointments, and costs of future medical and rehabilitation treatments. You may also be able to pursue damages that will cover cosmetic surgery that will remove keloid scarring, as severe bed bug bites can blister and turn infected. If they do, there is a chance that the wounds will scar upon healing, and you can take action.
- Emotional Harm Suffered – This is also known as compensation for pain and suffering or mental anguish. Victims of bed bug infestations often suffer serious debilitating emotional trauma including PTSD, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and anxiety disorders. These conditions can prevent you from traveling, give you an unhealthy fear of sleeping in unfamiliar locations, and drive you to meticulously and obsessively clean your apartment or any dwelling out of terror of bed bugs.
- Property Damage – Any personal belongings, including clothing, furniture, couches, luggage, backpacks, sheets, pillows, and mattresses, that were infested with bed bugs will need to be thrown out. You can opt to fumigate your entire collection of belongings, but this will usually incur great costs and be very time consuming. Victims of bed bug infestations have the right to financial recovery for their damaged or destroyed property, as they were not responsible for the infestation. The hotel management or apartment landlord’s negligence is to blame.
- Lost Wages and Loss of Future Income – Victims of personal injury are able to receive compensation for lost time at work due to injuries suffered in circumstances beyond their control. You may have to spend time at the hospital or at specialists to receive medical treatment and undergo examinations; clean your house; wait for exterminators and fumigators; or, in a drastic case, move out entirely to a temporary dwelling or new, permanent location.
- Availability for Punitive Damages – Punitive damages serve the purpose of punishing the at-fault liable party so that he will refrain from taking any future action that can cause harm. Punitive damages are usually awarded where the defendant has acted with either an intent to cause harm or a reckless indifference to the life and health of others. With respect to bed bugs, this means that the hotel owner or apartment complex landlord would take steps to keep the dwelling sanitary and bed bug free.
If all of these factors are determined to be sizeable and influential to your claim, then you will be awarded compensation that goes well above the average bed bug lawsuit settlement. Some cases have been reported to have been settled for upwards of $300,000; however, those cases likely met all of the above criteria and then some.
Further, do not accept any form of restitution directly from the hotel owner or landlord, as doing so can be used as evidence against you; the responsible party will claim that you accepted compensation already and all injuries were pardoned. Your best bet is to document your evidence, reject any free nights or coupons or unit switches, and find another place to stay while you enact your lawsuit.
Bed Bug Lawsuit Settlements
Many bed bug case settlements are valued at over $50,000 because of the excessive damage and trauma they cause. You may be able to reach a fairly high bed bug settlement with the help of an attorney, but if you do not enlist any legal help, it could be very difficult to win anything. You can read below for some sample cases to see what others have won. These are not meant to show you what you will win from a lawsuit, but rather to illustrate what can potentially be earned.
$200,000 Settlement: A woman suffered over 100 different bed bug bites after staying in a hotel. The woman made a complaint to the hotel after she discovered the bites, but the management did not do anything at all to assuage her. She was able to receive a fairly large settlement to offset the numerous medical bills she racked up and the cost of all her pain and suffering.
$1,500,000 Settlement: A family was given a settlement worth over a million dollars when their son was bitten by bed bugs while staying in their apartment building. The boy received permanent keloid scarring from the bugs; the parents were also beaten, although to a less severe extent. The family had to move to escape the torture of the bed bugs.
If you are curious over whether or not your bed bug lawsuit settlement is worth a fair amount of money, contact our law firm today.
Contact Us
If you have any further questions on the average value of a bed bug injury case and what you need to do in order to file a personal injury claim, feel free to contact our law firm today. One of our highly experienced lawyers who has dealt with bed bug cases will be more than happy to assist you and explain the litigation process and possible compensation you can receive. Our legal consultations are totally free, as we feel you should have all the information possible.