Staying at a hotel room infested with bed bugs is absolutely unacceptable. Four Points Hotels, a subdivision of Sheraton Hotels, do not have a reputation for bed bugs, but hotel chains work hard to keep any bed bug incidents private. Because hotels work hard to keep claims of bed bugs quiet, their legal teams and insurance companies might work hard to shut down any claims of bed bugs. Because of this, it is vital to talk to an experienced hotel bed bug injury lawyer about your case.
The Four Points Hotel by Sheraton bed bug lawyers at Whitney, LLP may be able to help you file a bed bug injury claim against even the largest hotel chains to seek compensation for your injuries. For help understanding your right to sue and how to best seek compensation for your hotel bed bug case, call our law offices today at (410) 583-8000 to set up a free legal consultation.
We represent clients in bed bug claims across Maryland including in Baltimore, Pasadena, Cockeysville, Owings Mills, Temple Hills, Marlow Heights, Middle River, Germantown, Silver Spring, Frederick, Waldorf, Laurel, Glen Burnie, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Ellicott City, Ocean City and Salisbury.
How to Check for Bed Bugs in Your Hotel Room
If you stayed in a hotel room and awake to find bites or possible evidence of bed bugs, it is important to confirm you have bed bugs to help you claim damages later in court. If you can, look around your hotel room for signs of bed bugs. If you can catch some of the bugs in a baggie or a bottle, having the bed bug can give you undeniable proof to help prove your case to the jury.
Bed bugs are often found near places where people are. Since bed bugs bite and drink blood to survive, they are typically found in beds or other furniture where people might stay for a prolonged period. The most common place to find bed bugs is on the mattress near the seams and potentially inside the box spring. Bed bugs may also stay in other furniture or fabric objects like rugs, curtains, or headboards.
You can find bed bugs by lifting the mattress and investigating these areas. Using a flashlight or the light on your phone may help you see them if the room is dimly lit. You can confirm that a bed bug is a bed bug by squishing it with a white tissue or paper towel. If it leaves red marks, it is likely a bed bug.
You can check for signs of bed bugs by looking for bites on your body or red marks on your bed sheets and pillows. If you suspect that bed bugs may have tracked home with you, you can look in these same locations and look for the same signs in your house.
Suing Four Points Hotels for Bed Bug Bites or Infestations
If your hotel room had bed bugs, it likely means one of three things. The first possibility is that the hotel management knew that there were bed bugs but continued to rent you your room anyway. Second, this could mean that the staff failed to properly check the hotel room for bed bugs by lifting mattresses and checking common spots where bed bug infestations start. Third, it could mean that the hotel already knew that there was an infestation and failed to properly clear the bed bugs from the hotel room.
In any of these three situations, the hotel and their staff are likely responsible for the injuries you faced. Whenever bed bugs are present in a hotel room from one of these three issues, it means that the hotel staff failed to keep you safe. Different states have different laws on what exactly a hotel and its staff must do to inspect for or warn about bed bugs, but it is likely that all three of these situations would constitute negligence.
When a hotel negligently fails to keep you safe by providing you with a clean, sanitary room, you may be able to sue for any damages that result from the negligence.
Compensation for Being Bitten by Bed Bugs in a Hotel
The damages that you face because of a bed bug infestation will be different in each case. Depending on how severe the attack was and your reaction to the bites, you could face different damages for medical care, physical pain, and mental suffering. If you tracked the bed bugs back to your house without knowing it, you could face additional damages for the infestation at your home, and you may be able to claim damages for the cost of hiring pest control and replacing damaged furniture, clothes, rugs, and drapes.
Bed bug bites can each be extremely painful and itchy, and bed bug victims often face hundreds or thousands of bites in serious cases. Victims are not often allergic to these bites, but that is a possibility that could result in additional complications and damages. In many cases, the risk of having bites infected could mean increased suffering and medical care costs.
If you have to miss work because of a bed bug infestation, you may also be able to claim damages for the lost wages you suffered. You may also claim damages for the cleaning or replacement of infested clothes, luggage, or other items at your hotel room.
If You Suffered Bed Bug Bites at a Four Points Hotel, Our Lawyers Can Help
If you or a loved one stayed at a Four Points Sheraton hotel and suffered bed bug bites, contact an attorney right away. Our Four Points Hotel by Sheraton bed bug injury lawyers may be able to take your case and fight to get you compensation for your injuries and any infestations you suffered because of bed bugs you encountered at a Four Points Sheraton. For a free legal consultation on your case, call the Maryland bed bug lawyers at Whitney, LLP today at (410) 583-8000.
We represent clients across Maryland including in Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, Howard County, Carroll County, Charles County and Worcester County