If you are about to check into a hotel, you may have concerns about bed bugs in the room. Unfortunately, bed bug infestations are fairly common in rented lodgings such as hotels and motels. These small, brownish-red insects live in mattresses, furniture, and other areas of a hotel and make their way into your luggage and clothing.
Bed bugs are most active at night, when they feed on people’s blood while they are asleep. Victims normally wake up in the morning with red, itchy bites that can become infected. This can lead to allergens and other contaminants entering your body and causing all sorts of problems, including painful swelling, fevers, and breathing problems.
Aside from bed bug bites when you are at the hotel, you can easily end up bringing these pests back to your home and reliving the nightmare of dealing with a bed bug infestation.
Checking for Bed Bugs During and after Staying at a Hotel
Ultimately, early intervention is the key to minimizing injuries and loss of property from a bed bug infestation. Here are the steps we recommend in order to tell if a hotel has bed bugs:
- Before you check the room for bed bugs, place your luggage and other belongings in the bathroom or a luggage rack, which are unlikely hiding places for bed bugs. This will ensure that your possessions are not infested in case there are bed bugs at the hotel.
- Start by pulling back the blankets and sheets, so that you can inspect the mattress and seams in the box springs. Keep an eye out for signs of bed bugs, such as live bugs and eggs (pearly white and oval shaped). You may also find pieces of bed bug exoskeletons, which they shed during the molting phase, along with darkish, rust-colored spots. You may want to check underneath the mattress as well, using a flashlight or another light source.
- Check the couch or any upholstered furniture for the same telltale signs. If you notice anything that may indicate the presence of bed bugs, notify the hotel staff and ask for another room, preferably in a different section of the building.
- For the rest of your stay, make sure to keep your suitcases on a luggage rack or another hard surface with the zippers closed. Prior to your travel, consider taking along trash bags to store your luggage in during your stay at a hotel.
- Once you get home, put your clothes in the dryer on the hottest possible setting and tumble dry for 30 minutes. Though many people wash their clothes as a precautionary measure against bed bug, it’s actually the heat that kills these critters.
Who is Liable for a Bed Bug Infestation?
Figuring out who is responsible for a bed bug infestation is critical to your rights as someone who has suffered bite marks, serious health complications, and emotional trauma. Generally, the property owner is liable for any injuries or loss of property to their guests under the law of premises liability. Thus, you would have to file a claim with the business owner, whether it’s an individual or hospitality corporation.
Businesses have a duty to take immediate action when they are notified of or spot the signs of bed bugs on the property. This includes notifying guests of an infestation, contacting an exterminator, offering refunds, and suspending bookings until the problem is taken care of. Failure to take such measures constitutes negligence, i.e., a failure to take reasonable measures that prevent harm to guests and visitors.
Can I Sue for Bed Bug Bites at a Hotel?
You may have grounds to file a bed bug injury lawsuit against the hotel for monetary damages, such as medical expenses, property damage, emotional distress, and lost wages. To move forward with a claim, you must show that the owner of the business was negligent in their duty to follow California’s bed bug laws and ensure that you were provided with a clean and safe environment.
If you are successful, there are numerous payments you can receive as an injury victim. It’s important to discuss your situation with a hotel bed bug attorney, who can advise you of the damages you are entitled to. Your lawyer can also locate evidence to support your claim, file the necessary paperwork, and negotiate a fair settlement with the hotel’s insurance company.
The legal team of Bed Bug Legal Group is ready to investigate your case and fight to secure the payment you deserve. Please reach out and schedule a free case review to learn about your rights and legal options.
Take the Right Steps
It’s essential that you take action immediately if you are injured by bed bugs during your hotel stay. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to preserve evidence and protect your right to compensation from the business owner.
If you can, collect small samples or take photos of the insects and bed bug debris, along with pictures of the bite marks, other injuries, and any damaged belongings. Additionally, make sure to notify the hotel of the infestation in writing. You can also contact the local health department so that a record of the infestation is preserved by another entity. Finally, make sure to seek medical attention for the harm you suffered, as medical records are necessary to proceed with a compensation claim.
Contact Bed Bug Legal Group
Were you exposed to a bed bug infestation while staying at a hotel, motel, resort, Airbnb, or another rental property? If so, we invite you to contact us and learn about the legal actions that are available to you. We have a team of dedicated bed bug injury lawsuit attorneys who have spent decades recovering maximum payment for bed bug bites and property damage.
We represent all clients on a contingency basis, meaning that you are never asked to pay upfront if you wish to hire us. All payment is collected at the end of your case, and only if we bring you the compensation you deserve, either by negotiating a settlement or obtaining a favorable jury verdict. That way, you lose absolutely nothing by contacting our law firm and allowing us to represent you in a hotel bed bug infestation claim.
Bed Bug Legal Group is here for you 24/7, so please reach out to us at your earliest opportunity and schedule a free case evaluation.
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