It was reported that on April 2, 2018, a civil jury awarded a California family $1,593,500 for the harms they suffered from bedbugs. Their three-year-old son sustained permanent scars from bedbug bites. This is the highest verdict award to a single family for a bedbug case in the United States.
Two years after living in their apartment, the California family discovered the apartment was infested with bedbugs. Their son had red spots on his face from the bedbug bites and their infant daughter had bites on her back. They had informed the apartment management company immediately. The management company sent someone to fumigate the apartment, but the family continued to get bit. After living in the infested apartment for four months, the carpet was finally removed, which helped end the infestation. The family suffered discomfort, sleeplessness, property damage, and emotional distress.
Generally, a property owner must provide you with a habitable apartment. Bedbugs can be found in hotels as well. Hotels are negligent when they were on notice of the bedbug infestation, but fail to keep the hotel bedbug free and as a result you suffer bedbug bites.
Bedbug bites are red and could be anywhere on your body that is exposed while you are sleeping. Many of the bites can become itchy and painful. Some people with sensitive skin or allergies may see the bites become swollen and leave permanent scars.
It has been reported by a leading pest control company that in 2018 the top 10 cities for bedbug problems are:
- Baltimore
- Washington, DC
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- Columbus, Ohio
- Cincinnati
- Detroit
- New York
- San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
- Dallas-Fort Worth
If you or your family suffered any bedbug bites while staying in your apartment or at a hotel, please contact the attorneys at Washington & Washington toll free (800) 988-0158, to investigate your case. In the meantime, make sure you take photos of the bedbug bites and any evidence of the bedbugs on furniture or in rooms. Inform management by email or certified mail right away, and if you can, don’t stay in the infested room. If you need medical attention, see a doctor right away.