A bed bug infestation can yield debilitating consequences; although the physical damages may not be life threatening, the collateral damages can wreak havoc on you. Bed bugs can torment you for weeks if you do not properly and adequately remove them, and if you were victimized because of another party’s negligence, you should look into taking legal action. Property owners and managers have a duty to protecting their customers and clients, and if that duty is violated, compensation can be doled out. If you were hurt by bed bugs in New Jersey, call a bed bug lawyer in Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, or Elizabeth for more assistance. Our law group, the Bed Bug Legal Group, will be able to help you by setting you up with an experienced attorney to take your case.
Facts about Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are small insects that nest near human resting locations and feast on their blood when they sleep. The creatures can reach up to 5mm in length, are reddish-brown in color, crawl from surface to surface, and leave specific bites on the skin, which are usually left in a zigzag pattern and appear as red welts that may itch or fester. The bugs can bite you and drink blood undisturbed for up to ten minutes at a time because of the unique properties of their saliva, which has both anesthetic and anticoagulant properties in it.
The bugs prefer to make nests in damp, dark locations that are not easily seen. They tend to stay near where their victims sleep, so they make nests in the mattress creases, beneath baseboards and headboards, underneath sofa cushions, behind electrical outlets, behind picture frames, in the folds of curtains, and more. This allows them to hide during the day and come out at night to feast.
They may also not be seen for some time because of how hardy they are. A full bed bug that is engorged on blood can retreat to its nest and stay there for weeks without needing another meal. Thu, an infestation may be present but you might not see the bugs if they have recently fed or if there haven’t been any victims nearby.
In order to see if there are bed bugs in your couch, mattress, bed, or other location, you should be on the lookout for certain signs. An obvious indication is the presence of eggs; the eggs are small, cream colored, oval shaped, and usually in bunches. Females only lay a few eggs at a time, and no more than a few hundred in her entire lifetime. There may also be exoskeletons from juvenile bed bugs as they shed their skin. The mattress and sheets could have blood stains on them from feedings, or there could be tiny black or brown mounds, which are droppings. You should also be aware that there is a certain musty or sweet odor that emanates from bed bugs.
For more details on the creatures, contact a bed bug lawyer in Elizabeth, Paterson, Newark, or Jersey City.
Locations of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are most often found in spots that have different visitors. The bugs may latch onto luggage, clothing, suitcases, purses, handbags, backpacks, and other items and travel from one place to another. They can be found on train cars, buses, in hotel rooms and resorts, in apartment buildings, and in used furniture stores.
If you have found bed bugs in a newly rented apartment, you may be able to take action against the landlord. It is the landlord’s duty to clean the apartment before anyone moves in and to inspect any damages; if he finds an infestation, he must do all he can to remedy it and not allow new tenants to live there with such a health code violation. If you do suffer bed bug bites after moving in, though, it may be difficult to prove that they were there prior to your residence and were simply ignored by the landlord.
Used furniture stores generally have dozens of mattresses, beds, sofas, chairs, cushions, and more available for purchase. If you do not carefully inspect your furniture, you may wind up with bed bugs infesting your entire home. Used furniture stores are supposed to clean all of their merchandise when they receive it; they cannot sell infested furniture to anyone, and doing so is a violation of the law. You could hold the outlet responsible for your damages if you purchased a piece of used furniture that led to bed bug bites.
Hotel rooms also have bed bugs quite often because of the high turnover rate of visitors. Hotel staff may not properly clean the rooms; they only change the sheets and pillowcases but leave the blankets untouched, as well as the fitted sheets and mattress covers. They may not clean couches or sofas, either, which are sometimes hotspots for bed bugs.
Atlantic City Bed Bugs
In Atlantic City, there are numerous hotels and motels both on and off the strip. The city has thousands of visitors each day, many from out of state, and due to such an influx, cleaning crews may not be able to keep up. Hotel managers thus have them cut corners and clean the bare minimum so they can get on with more important duties.
Atlantic City also has resorts and casinos that offer rooms and lounge areas. These places may have bed bugs, but it can be hard to find them, as the locations are seldom empty.
A big problem with bed bug infestations in hotels is that you may not be able to procure the evidence you need to file a claim. Many people will immediately alert management when there is a sign of bed bugs; the manager will likely move you to another room, apologize profusely, and offer you some form of future compensation or credit, perhaps in the form of an upgrade or a free weekend. If you accept, the hotel can claim that you were already recouped for your damages. You won’t be allowed back into the room to take photos of the damages, for example.
A bed bug lawyer in Elizabeth, Jersey City, Paterson, or Newark can help you file a claim against a hotel if you were harmed by an infestation.
Steps to Take
If you have suffered bed bug bites in any of the above locations or another place, you should immediately take photos of any insects you find, as well as signs of the bed bugs. You should also photograph your injuries. If you purchased furniture, do not throw the furniture away or return it; it will be used as evidence in your lawsuit.
You should refrain from speaking to any insurance agents about the incident. They will try to get you to admit to something that can be used against you. Further, the responsible party may offer you other forms of compensation to prevent a lawsuit from happening. You should instead hire the services of an experienced bed bug lawyer in Paterson, Jersey City, Elizabeth, or Newark to take care of your case. It can be extremely difficult to seek financial compensation by yourself, as you may not have the knowledge or time to dedicate to your claim. A lawyer will be able to fight for your rights when you are unavailable, and we are armed with years of experience to help us win your claim.
Your Earnings
A bed bug lawsuit can result in a number of different forms of compensation. You may be able to have your medical bills taken care of, as well as have your lost wages at work reimbursed. If you will have future medical treatments that will also result in missed days, both of those expenses can be covered. Any damaged property you had, in addition to fumigation and extermination costs, can be repaired or covered. Further, the sufficient emotional damages you suffered because of such a traumatizing accident can be compensated – your fear, anxiety, PTSD, and mental stress could be paid for.
A bed bug attorney in Newark, Elizabeth, Paterson, or Jersey City can help you receive all of these forms of compensation.
How We Help
Our law firm, the Bed Bug Legal Group, is dedicated to those who have been victimized by bed bugs. We have years of experience handling such lawsuits and we place our clients at the top of our priority list – you will never have to worry during your case. All of the necessary deadlines will be met and the required documents will be sent out. All you have to do is focus on getting your life back in order. We will aggressively endeavor to secure you fair compensation by negotiating for the best offer from the insurance agent, and if we do not like the amount, we’ll go to court to win your verdict.
Reach out to our law firm today for a free legal consultation with an expert attorney. You could ask questions about bed bug lawsuits and we will look over your case, giving you details and information so you can move forward. We’ll also tell you what we believe we can earn you. Further, if you choose us to represent you, you’ll be given our zero fee guarantee, which states that you don’t have to pay any expenses whatsoever throughout your case – we take care of the costs, and our fees are covered if we win a settlement; the money will come from the amount the insurance agency gives you. If we lose, you are off the hook and owe us no money whatsoever.
Don’t suffer through a bed bug infestation. Call a bed bug lawyer in Jersey City, Paterson, Newark, or Elizabeth to file a claim and receive compensation for your damages.
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