When you stay at a hotel, you expect a room free of bed bugs and bites, and clean, safe accommodations that won’t endanger your health. Unfortunately, even the most luxurious hotel rooms can become infested by bed bugs, which can injure you and destroy your personal belongings, causing physical and financial harm.
If you were bitten by bed bugs at a SpringHill Suites hotel in Maryland, the Marriott Hotel bed bug attorneys of Whitney, LLP may be able to help you get compensated for your losses, including your medical bills, pain and suffering, property damage, and lost earnings. We have many years of experience helping injured hotel guests file bed bug lawsuits, and have recovered millions of dollars for the clients we represent. Contact us online today to set up a free legal consultation, or call Whitney, LLP at (410) 583-8000.
We represent clients bitten by bed bugs across Maryland including Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, Howard County, Carroll County, Charles County and Worcester County.
To learn more about how Whitney, LLP can help with bed bug legal claims, read our bed bug blogs or watch our YouTube channel for more information.
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?
Bed bugs are small, brown insects with ridged, partially see-through abdomens, inside which recent blood meals are clearly visible. They have six legs, no wings, conical mouthparts for piercing skin, and small, dark eyes that are positioned on opposite sides of the head. Their most striking feature is their size, which can expand radically when the bed bug feeds, growing from several millimeters to one quarter inch.
Checking Your Hotel Room for Bed Bugs
You might assume that a bed bug infestation would be obvious to you the moment you opened the door to your hotel room. However, bed bugs can be difficult to detect for a number of reasons:
- They are generally most active at night, while their victims are asleep.
- Unlike some insects that are curious or aggressive, bed bugs tend to hide.
- Bed bugs are extremely small, making them hard to spot in low lighting.
- Bed bugs do not fly or make any noise to draw attention to themselves.
For these reasons, it is wise to check your room thoroughly for bed bugs – particularly because hotels do not always comply with bed bug disclosure requirements when checking in guests. Here are three signs of an infestation to look for:
- Strange, foul odors in your room, which may smell sweet, musty, or even seem similar to cilantro (coriander) or almonds
- Egg cases, insect parts, or molted skins on your bare mattress
- Dark, irregular stains on your bare mattress
Health Risks of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are not just a financial worry. Even more concerningly, their bites can trigger debilitating health problems. While severe adverse reactions are uncommon, they can be devastating to the victim when they do occur. Health issues that have been linked to bed bug infestations include anaphylaxis, which is a potentially fatal allergic reaction characterized by facial swelling and difficulty breathing, and skin infections, which can develop from open wounds caused by scratching the bites. Bacterial infections associated with bed bugs include ecthyma, lymphangitis, impetigo, and cellulitis.
In addition to causing these physical ailments, bed bug exposure can also be harmful to victims’ mental health, particularly when prolonged. Mood and sleep disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia, are frequently diagnosed in infestation victims.
Hotel Bed Bug Lawsuits and Liability
The regulations surrounding hotel liability for bed bug infestations are highly complex. It is in your best interests to consult with an attorney who is experienced in the specific area of hotel bed bug litigation. At Whitney, LLP, we are dedicated to handling bed bug lawsuits against hotels, motels, resorts, and inns, with a long track record of awards and settlements obtained on behalf of hotel guests and their families.
If you were exposed to bed bugs at a SpringHill Suites hotel, we are ready to provide the aggressive, around-the-clock legal representation that you and your loved ones deserve. We will work tirelessly to gather evidence supporting your claim, showing that you were injured due to the negligent acts of a hotel company or hotel employee.
SpringHill Suites Locations
Part of Marriott International’s “Select” line of hotels, SpringHill Suites is “the largest all-suites brand in the upscale tier,” according to its official website. Exclusively offering suites, the SpringHill brand is popular with travelers who need extra space, such as extended families or large business groups.
Marriott International, which is SpringHill’s parent company, currently operates more than 6,500 hotels around the world. Over 400 of them are SpringHill Suites establishments, which are located in states throughout the U.S, including Annapolis, Maryland and Baltimore, Maryland.
Attorney for Bed Bug Infestations at SpringHill Suites by Marriott
At Whitney, LLP, we are are bed bug infestation lawyers with many years of experience handling bed bug claims and lawsuits. If you have questions about suing SpringHill Suites or another hotel in Maryland due to a bed bug infestation, contact us online to set up a free legal consultation, or call Whitney, LLP at (410) 583-8000.