All Super 8 hotels and motels are legally required to provide patrons with safe accommodations that comply with health and building code. When a hotel rents a room with a history of bed bug infestations, and the guest is bitten and/or suffers property damage as a result, the hotel can potentially be held liable for violating its legal “duty of care” to the customer. This means the hotel can potentially be held responsible for compensating property replacement, medical treatment, lost earnings, and pain and suffering stemming from your personal injury.
If you were bitten by bed bugs while staying at a Super 8 hotel anywhere in the United States, or if you had to replace personal property after the hotel bed bug infestation spread to your home or apartment, the hotel bed bug lawyers of Whitney, LLP may be able to help. Our aggressive attorneys have years of experience litigating a wide variety of bed bug claims stemming from hotel negligence, and will guide you through each and every stage of your case while fighting tirelessly on your behalf.
To arrange for a free and private case evaluation, call our law offices right away at (410) 583-8000.
Filing an Injury Claim Against Super 8 Hotels
Once known as Super 8 Motels, this popular brand been renamed to Super 8 Worldwide. Super 8 Worldwide is a budget brand in the Wyndham Hotel Group family, which is owned by the Wyndham Worldwide Corporation. Wyndham maintains and operates more than 2,000 Super 8 hotels around the globe, with locations in hundreds of U.S. towns and cities including Pittsburgh, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Seattle, and New Orleans.
While Super 8 has a widespread presence throughout the United States, its parent brand, Wyndham Hotel Group, maintains corporate headquarters in Parsippany, New Jersey. This means that New Jersey may have jurisdiction over any legal actions against Super 8. Therefore, plaintiffs may be able to bring claims in New Jersey no matter where the Super 8 visit occurred. Attorney Daniel W. Whitney, Jr. of Whitney, LLP is admitted to practice in the state of New Jersey.
How to Identify Bed Bug Bites
Bed bug bites bear a similar appearance to mosquito bites, spider bites, and flea bites. So how can you tell them apart? Consider the following characteristics:
- Bites tend to appear in concentrated clusters or rows in the area where the specimen latched onto the victim. If bites are few and far between, the culprit may be a different type of bug or insect.
- Bites appear pink in color with a small darker spot toward the center.
- Bites are medium-sized, generally about 3/8” to half an inch across, and may be slightly raised or swollen like a welt.
- Bed bugs are primarily nocturnal, and do most of their feeding at night. Therefore, most bites appear on areas which are exposed while the victim sleeps, such as the face, hands, and neck. However, it is important to bear in mind that, while uncommon, daytime bites are still a possibility. Bite victims should not rule out bedbugs simply because they were bitten during daylight hours or while they were awake.
The desk clerk should inform you about the room’s insect history upon request. However, other warning signs that bed bugs may be present include:
- A strong, musty odor. Some sources describe this odor as being sweet, while others say it is similar to the cooking spice coriander.
- Tiny brown or black spots on your bedding indicate an infested mattress. These spots are fecal stains left behind by digested blood meals.
- Blood stains on the mattress or bedding materials, which are caused by bugs being squashed.
While learning how to identify the source of your bites can be a helpful first step toward receiving treatment, you should consult with a licensed healthcare professional as soon as possible. Even a small number of bites can expose victims to serious health risks, and delaying seeking expert medical advice can increase your risk of suffering from major health complications.
Medical Problems and Health Risks
Bed bug bites can cause a wide range of significant medical issues, some of which can even be fatal if left untreated. Some health risks associated with bed bug bites include, but are not limited to, the following conditions:
- Anaphylactic Shock
Most commonly associated with bee stings, anaphylactic shock or anaphylaxis is an extremely serious allergic reaction which can be fatal without rapid intervention. Warning signs of anaphylaxis include dizziness, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and a faint or weak pulse.
- Chagas Disease
Chagas Disease is increasingly prevalent in the United States, with about 300,000 U.S. infections currently known to the CDC. The effects of Chagas Disease may lie dormant for years or even entire decades, until the victim begins to experience serious health problems caused by enlargement of the heart, colon, or esophagus. Chagas Disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, which can spread from bed bug carriers to human beings.
- Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver, which is responsible for managing metabolism, digestion, and detoxification. Even in “mild” cases, hepatitis B victims can still take up to a year to fully recover. In more severe cases, victims may suffer permanent liver damage necessitating eventual organ transplant.
- Impetigo
Impetigo is an extremely contagious skin infection which results in painful facial sores. These sores eventually burst and crust over, turning brown and yellow in color. Because impetigo is so contagious (even earning the nickname “school sores” for its ability to spread rapidly among schoolchildren), infected employees may have to miss work and lose income. Impetigo can also lead to secondary infections of the skin and/or hair, known as:- Cellulitis
- Eczematoid Dermatitis
- Folliculitis
If you were a victim of bed bug bites while staying at an infested Super 8 motel or hotel, or if you had to replace costly personal property after returning home from your trip, you may be able to recover significant compensation. To begin discussing your options in a free and completely confidential legal consultation, call the law offices of Whitney, LLP at (410) 583-8000 today. While our law offices are located in Towson, MD, our attorneys are prepared to handle claims arising from hotel negligence throughout the United States.