It may be very difficult to take legal action if you are bitten by bed bugs; you may not know where the infestation came from or where you were when you were attacked. The ensuing effects can be confusing and frustrating, especially if you intend on pursuing legal action. The circumstances of your attack can lead to a lawsuit, and an expert attorney can assist you. You should not have to cover the damages that result from a bed bug infestation if another party contributed to the problem. Our law firm, the Bed Bug Legal Group, is dedicated to helping victims of bed bug bites receive the fairest compensation available under the law. We can help you sue the responsible entity and handle all of the leg work of your case. If you need a bed bug lawyer in Orange County / Santa Ana / Newport Beach / Anaheim / Costa Mesa / Laguna Niguel, call our offices today.
Bed Bugs – What They Are
Firstly, you must be able to identify bed bugs to be sure that you were bitten by the pests and not other creatures. They are sometimes confused with fleas, but fleas are larger and can jump great distances, whereas bed bugs are flatter and round and can only crawl to maneuver around. Fleas are also present near animal beds and on pets and strays, while bed bugs stay hidden near where their victims sleep.
The creatures specifically make their nests close by so they can quickly emerge to feast at nighttime. When you sleep, bed bugs attack parts of the body that are usually exposed, like your forearms, feet, shoulders, and ankles. They do not have a preference, however. When they feast, they bite into your skin and can drink for up to ten minutes at a time; their spit has both an anticoagulant to prevent your blood from clotting and an anesthetic to prevent you from feeling the pain of the bite. The bugs move around and bite in a zigzag pattern until they have become engorged enough to return to their nests, where they do not need to emerge for many weeks. In fact, bed bugs are very hardy creatures that do not need to feast for a long time, and an infestation can appear dormant for a while before anything happens.
The bites sometimes take time to appear and can make you question how you sustained them. You may have even moved to another location by the time the welts show up. This can be very problematic for lawsuit purposes, as you may not be able to return to your previous location to acquire any evidence.
A bed bug lawyer in Orange County / Santa Ana / Newport Beach / Anaheim / Costa Mesa / Laguna Niguel can help give you more information on the creatures. You can be certain that your damages were caused by the pests and not another source.
Evidence of Bed Bugs
There are many ways to tell that you have been bitten by bed bugs. The bites will appear inflamed and red, for one, and will be itchy. Beyond the damages to your skin, you can find evidence of the creatures elsewhere in the room or dwelling.
Signs of bed bugs include small, cream-colored, oval shaped eggs that are laid in bunches; exoskeletons that have been shed by juvenile bed bugs reaching maturity; bloodstains and droplets on sheets; small black or brown mounds that are droppings from the creatures; and a smell often described as musty or sweet. You should also look in places that are not easily visible or accessed and do not get a lot of light, as they are primary homes for bed bugs. Such places include the creases of mattresses and furniture, behind baseboards and headboards, on the other side of picture frames and electrical outlets, below mattresses and sofa cushions, and more. If you find the presence of bed bugs in one area, it is very likely that the rest of the room will be affected as well.
When you set out to acquire evidence, you should take pictures of everything you see. This includes the furniture and furnishings and the injuries on your body. It may be some of the only concrete evidence you can procure. Some specific scenarios for evidence gathering include:
- Used Furniture Store: If you chose to buy furniture from a store that sells used goods, you should be extra careful. Not every manager will require that the furniture be cleaned prior to resale, and the amount of furniture within the store means that there can be other infestations. If you find out that you made a purchase from such a store and were given a piece of furniture with bed bugs, your home could be compromised. You must ensure that you keep all receipts and bills showing that you made the purchase. Further, do not throw away any of the items or return them to the store; you would be giving away the most important piece of evidence you possess.
- Apartment Building: Before you move in, your landlord must make sure that the apartment building is free from any pests and does not violate any health codes. If the apartment were pre-furnished, he should have the items cleaned to eliminate the threat of any infestation. You would need to search the apartment prior to moving in or just as you do in order to get sufficient evidence to sue your landlord. The longer you wait, the easier it is for him to claim that the bed bugs were not present when he inspected the home and that you must have caused the problem.
- Hotel or Resort: If your bed bug bites happened at a hotel, you should take photographs of everything possible and keep your receipt, much as you would any other situation. A common mistake that people make involves calling the management to complain about the infestation. Management will often move you to another room immediately, which may prevent you from getting the necessary evidence to file a lawsuit. You will also likely not be allowed back into the room because it will be occupied with cleaners and maids. The hotel can sufficiently deny that there were any bed bugs present.
Do not fall victim to bed bugs without pursuing compensation for your damages. Acquire all of the evidence you can and hire a bed bug lawyer in Orange County / Santa Ana / Newport Beach / Anaheim / Costa Mesa / Laguna Niguel.
Legal Information
You can file a lawsuit based on breach of warranty, breach of contract, health code violation, or negligence if your bed bug injuries were caused by another party. With the help of a bed bug lawyer in Orange County / Santa Ana / Newport Beach / Anaheim / Costa Mesa / Laguna Niguel, you could assemble your case and go to the insurance company for compensation.
Keep in mind that there is a statute of limitations on how long you can take to file a claim. For personal injury lawsuits, for example, you have two years from the date of the injury to take legal action. Waiting too long can result in your claim being thrown out. There are exceptions, though, such as being underage at the time of the incident or the defendant leaving the state or country for a certain period of time, which would temporarily suspend the statute until a later date. Your attorney can see if you are able to receive any extensions.
Earnings from a Claim
The effects of bed bugs can wreak havoc on your life. The physical injuries can necessitate medical attention treatment while the other economic damages can force you to spend money on cleaning costs and more. By filing a lawsuit, you can ear coverage for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages (if you needed to miss work because of the infestation or lack of transportation)
- Damaged property (anything you needed to throw away can be reimbursed, and the costs of exterminators or fumigators can be covered)
- Emotional pain and suffering (if you suffered PTSD, fear, anxiety, or other such damages)
We always recommend finding a bed bug lawyer in Orange County / Santa Ana / Newport Beach / Anaheim / Costa Mesa / Laguna Niguel to help you with your case. You simply may not have the experience or knowledge to negotiate a fair settlement, and worse, you may not have the time to dedicate to a lawsuit. For us, it is merely our job, and we will dedicate ourselves to winning your claim.
The Law Group for You
Our law firm, the Bed Bug Legal Group, specializes in bed bug lawsuits. We are here for victims and have spent years honing our knowledge and execution of acquiring settlements for such lawsuits. We believe that negligent property owners should be held responsible for damages resulting from bed bug infestations and that you should not have to cover your own expenses. Our lawyers are aggressive and do not stop hunting for your compensation no matter what. We will work around the clock to negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance agency. If we are not satisfied with the offer, we are willing to take your case to court to force the company to pay up.
Call us today to schedule a free legal consultation with one of our experienced attorneys. You can ask questions about bed bug lawsuits and what to do to make sure you have the best chance possible at winning your claim. We will look over your case and tell you what we believe we can earn for you. Further, we will tell you more about our zero fee guarantee, which promises that you will not have to pay any out of pocket fees for our services. Our bills will get paid if we win your case and we’ll take the money from the settlement we bring you; if we lose, you owe us no money at all, and can walk away from the case.
To speak with a bed bug lawyer in Orange County / Santa Ana / Newport Beach / Anaheim / Costa Mesa / Laguna Niguel, contact our law group today.
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