The Best Rockville Bed Bug Attorney!

When bed bugs infest a hotel or apartment, they can cause serious harm to residents and visitors. Bed bug bites pose major health risks, including bacterial infections, anaphylaxis, skin blistering, anxiety, and depression. Bed bugs can also be financially destructive, infesting personal property which must then be discarded and replaced. Even a short stay at an infested property poses danger, since bed bugs can easily travel cross-country in clothing, handbags, or luggage.

If you were bitten by bed bugs at your apartment or hotel room in Rockville, Maryland, make sure you discuss your legal options with an experienced attorney. At Whitney, LLP, our bed bug lawyer Rockville has been litigating bed bug cases since 1992, giving our team decades of experience in this complex, tightly regulated area of the law. When you need a skilled and aggressive bed bug lawyer to fight in your family’s corner, rely on Whitney, LLP for quality representation. The Whitney law firm has recovered over $10 million for our clients in bed bug cases.  Here is what our clients have to say about us. Attorney’s fees and case expenses are paid from only from compensation we recover for you.

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. Here are some of our bed bug case results.

How to Identify Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are brown, six-legged insects that do not fly, sting, or make noise. As nocturnal parasites, they are generally active at night, but may be noticeable during the day if an infestation is severe.

Like ticks, bed bugs grow dramatically while they are feeding on blood, which is their only source of food. Normally just a few millimeters – a barely-visible speck – bed bugs can expand to roughly one quarter of an inch after consuming blood.

What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?

Some people suffer intense reactions to bed bug bites, while others experience no reaction at all. Because of the disparities in bite reactions, it’s important to see a doctor promptly so that you can be diagnosed and treated correctly.

In most individuals, bed bug bites create small, pink swellings, which typically itch for one to two weeks. Some individuals may experience blistering and highly pronounced swelling, depending on their bite sensitivity.

How to Tell if Your Rockville Apartment or Hotel Room Has Bed Bugs

While some pests are curious or aggressive toward humans, bed bugs tend to hide from perceived threats. Combined with their nocturnal feeding schedule and the fact that they do not make noise, this can make bed bugs very difficult to spot. Fortunately, there are several “red flags” that might help you detect a hidden hotel or apartment infestation:

• Foul, unusual odors (often described as “sweet” or “musty”), potentially caused by bed bug alarm pheromones
• Small stains and/or piles of molted skins on your bare mattress, pillows, or bedding, likely mixed with egg cases

Are Bed Bugs Harmful?

While most individuals who are bitten by bed bugs do not experience severe physical effects, a small number of people endure serious complications. Examples of medical problems that can be caused by bed bug bites include:

• Anaphylaxis – Anaphylaxis is a rapid-onset allergic reaction that can be fatal without proper treatment. This reaction can be triggered by proteins in bed bug saliva, which some people have heightened sensitivity to. Typical symptoms of anaphylaxis include facial swelling, trouble breathing, confusion, weakness, and nausea.
• Mood and Sleep Disorders – Living with bed bugs can be a nightmarish experience, making it difficult or impossible to sleep properly. Many infestation victims report developing insomnia, which may be worsened by bed bug-related mood disorders like depression and anxiety.
• Skin Infections – Picking or scratching at bed bug bites creates small wounds that are vulnerable to bacterial infections such as ecthyma, impetigo, and cellulitis.

Suing Your Landlord or Hotel for Bed Bugs in Maryland

Rockville, Maryland is the seat of Montgomery County. Therefore, claims involving Rockville apartment buildings may be impacted by the Rockville City Code, which creates local rules about landlord duties and lease provisions.

Article XII, Section 5-286, of Rockville’s City Code adopted the BOCA National Property Maintenance Code, Fifth Edition, 1996, subject to amendments (“NPMC”).  Section 307.2 of the NPMC directly addresses infestation in residential dwellings: “The owner and/or operator of any structure shall be responsible for extermination within the structure prior to renting, leasing or selling the structure;” and Section 307.1 states “Take proper steps to exterminate for roaches and bed bugs.”

Rockville Bed Bug Lawsuit Attorneys

At Whitney, LLP, we are dedicated to pursuing your claim aggressively. Our Rockville bed bug attorneys can help you seek compensation for medical bills, lost earnings, pain and suffering, mental anguish, property damage, and other losses that you have incurred due to the infestation of your apartment or hotel room. To talk confidentially about filing a claim in a free legal consultation with a Rockville bed bug lawyer, contact our law offices online today, or call Whitney, LLP at (410) 583-8000.