Legal advise regarding bed bugs UPDATE POST #52

[SaraJayne]

I could be wrong, but I think the best route to finding out if one of the hotels or the cabin had an infestation is to contact the state's Health Department and file a complaint. They would have to follow up with an inspection. (I'm sure you will confirm the bug you found is a bed bug first.)

If the Health Dept. for the state (whichever state) finds there is an infestation in the room you occupied, then you could technically file a claim. I don't know what that would cover, but you would have proof.

But what's to say the OP didn't bring the bedbugs into the hotel with her??

No, I'm not saying that's the case, but proving where you got them/where they originated is impossible.

 

[dispor]

I did have the pleasure of staying in a hotel with bed bugs (on Neward airport...yuck). Anyway, my little guy moved around all night and kept us up...we didn't know he was being bit. I discovered it in the morning when I looked at the sheets and there was blood. Apparantly, these small bugs bleed quite a bit when they die (I imagine he was squishing them).

I ended up with the rash however; never felt anything bite me. I had to go to the walk in center twice on vacation....just once, I want to skip this place LOL.

So....my question is....do you recall any blood on the sheets?

No, we didn't see any blood on the sheets, but then again we weren't looking. But I would think we would have noticed blood when we pulled back the top sheet.

We didn't start making a possible "bed bug" connection until we got home, so we didn't have a chance to inspect the beds, sheets or the room (yes, I realize now we should have done this before even spending the night there).

Did you manage to not bring any home with you? At least you knew right away that they were bed bugs and could take the necessary precautions. We brought the suitcases right into the house - ugh!

 

[Imzadi]

Here are two articles on the bedbugs in the academic buildings, I talked about at John Jay College for Criminal Justice. These articles firmly state, bedbugs do NOT just remain in beds:


(Only pertinent info snipped and included. Bolding mine. Full articles at links below.)

http://wcbstv.com/local/bed.bugs.john.2.1204392.html


"Several areas of John Jay College of Criminal Justice are infested with bed bugs.

Students at John Jay reacted sharply Wednesday night to the news bed bugs have invaded the first floor of the school's North Hall complex.

"That's disgusting. That's disgusting. I didn't even know until now. We could bring them home with us. They shouldn't even let us in," student Juana Abreu said.

The word came in a mass e-mail identifying several offices, including admissions, financial aid, health, student government, the registrar and a conference room as among those that have -- not an infestation -- but rather in the words of the email, a bed bug condition.

Diaz said he's already been bitten. He showed CBS 2 HD the bite.

While bed bugs are more often associated with hotels and mattresses, experts said they are a growing problem in the city in offices and other commercial buildings, often spreading through light switches, and electrical outlets.

"Bed bugs will use these as highways and get on the wiring and go from one room to another," said Louis Sorkin, an entomologist at the Museum of Natural History..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/nyregion/25bedbugs.html


"A deep cleaning was ordered on Sept. 14 and one bedbug was found. Soon after, a second was caught. The college brought in an inspection team with bug-sniffing dogs on Tuesday that confirmed the bedbug problem on the first floor of North Hall.

The crowd of about 200 faculty, staff members and students gasped when officials showed a map of affected areas. Evidence of bedbugs was found in about half of the rooms on the second floor. The inspection had not been completed on the third or fourth floors of the building, though evidence was found on the third floor..."

"The student, Deirdra Assey, 24, of Brooklyn, said she and the coworker checked their homes and spoke with landlords about bedbugs, but she said they concluded the bites were happening during the day.

“...As soon as I figured out that campus had been infected, it all made sense,” said Ms. Assey, a second-year master’s degree student. “I had no idea they could be infecting offices.”

Despite the “bed” descriptor, the bugs can survive in many locations, like buses, trains and movie theaters. Last year they were reported at Fox offices.

Bedbugs, once nearly eradicated, have spread across New York City, in part because of the decline in the use of DDT..."

 

[dispor]

You're welcome. I'm hoping for you.

I was curious and found a good website you might not have seen:

http://www.medicinenet.com/bed_bugs_pictures_slideshow/article.htm

Did the bug you found look anything like the pictures you have seen (or the one on this website)? Was it super small?

Sorry, I can't bring myself to click on that website tonight. The bug was pretty small. Slightly smaller than an apple seed, which is what I have heard the bugs compared to. It moved very quickly, so I'm glad I was able to get it. I tried hard not to squish it, so I am hoping they can make a positive i.d. on it.

 

[quentina]

No, we didn't see any blood on the sheets, but then again we weren't looking. But I would think we would have noticed blood when we pulled back the top sheet.

We didn't start making a possible "bed bug" connection until we got home, so we didn't have a chance to inspect the beds, sheets or the room (yes, I realize now we should have done this before even spending the night there).

Did you manage to not bring any home with you? At least you knew right away that they were bed bugs and could take the necessary precautions. We brought the suitcases right into the house - ugh!

No, we did not bring any home and we had the suitcases all over......we stayed in a park and fly hotel. It was miserable, it took me about 2 weeks to rid myself of the rash. I had to go to the doctor when we got home for a steroid shot.

 

[OceanAnnie]

But what's to say the OP didn't bring the bedbugs into the hotel with her??

No, I'm not saying that's the case, but proving where you got them/where they originated is impossible.

There have been many lawsuits about this very issue that have been won. It isn't impossible to prove where they originated. Here are some cases from one quick search:

http://bedbugger.com/2007/03/17/faq...d-bug-lawsuits-can-you-help-me-find-a-lawyer/

 

[Brancaneve]

I couldn't find the link to a thread about a woman who found bed bugs in a Disney DVC resort. But I do remember the way in which the hotel responded to the bug in a ziploc baggy, and it was pretty impressive. They reimbursed them very well, bought them all new clothes and luggage and made their stay very comfortable. Apparently, the room was completely stripped down, everything thrown away and replaced. Sad to say, but it does happen.

However, the word "cabin" just screams BUGS!!! Do you think the manager of the cabin was telling the truth, or were they hard to find(very small)?

 

[bumbershoot]

But what's to say the OP didn't bring the bedbugs into the hotel with her??

And if these are bbugs, and if she got them during the beginning of the trip, then she DID bring them to the subsequent place(s)...

If I were you I would inform the places that you stayed that you believe they have bedbugs, and that they should take care of things. Then they would know.

I think this ranks up there with sueing McDonalds for hot coffee.

Well, no, not really.

That was actually a righteous lawsuit against a company that had had 700 previous claims for similar problems in the previous 10 years and had continued to keep their coffee between 180 and 190 degrees. By an elderly woman who was just trying to take the lid off of her coffee (while a passenger in a NON moving car), and subsequently "suffered full thickness burns (or third-degree burns) over 6 percent of her body, including her inner thighs, perineum, buttocks, and genital and groin areas". Hospitalized 8 days, had skin grafts and debridement.

Is that what you expect from YOUR coffee?

 

[scrapbookworm]

I'm going to suggest redbugs (also called chiggers). If you were in a cabin, presumably in the woods, then redbug bites would be a possibility as well. Google chigger bites to see if that is what they look like. The pictures I saw online showed small clusters of small bumps.

Good luck!

 

[mamamary]

I started a thread the other day about bedbugs. They are all over my sister's workplace One was found in her chair - how creepy is that? Luckily she hasn't been bitten. At least one person from work was found to have them at their home. Who knows how many people may have started transporting these bugs around. It has been very distressing for my sister these last few days. They aren't even going to start fumigating for another week.

 

[goofyernmost]

Here's the thing...bedbugs, if that's what they were, do not carry little ID's with their home address. You could have brought them in from someplace else to the cabins or hotels that you are concerned about.

I can understand that you might want to be a model citizen and inform these places of possible exposure to them, but as soon as you ask for "legal advice" then the purpose became more of a "what can I get" situation.

Since you cannot prove where they came from they can assume that you brought them in since you are the only one that is aware of them. Bedbugs usually stay completely out of sight during daylight hours so they are very difficult to spot and impossible to pinpoint the origin especially in public facilities.

If you have discovered an infestation in your home there is a fumigation process that can be done. I'm sure that applies to the car as well. As for the spots on the seats of the van...well, you have kids and I personally can think of thousands of places those could have come from and none of them involve bedbugs.

 

[sunnyday123]

And if these are bbugs, and if she got them during the beginning of the trip, then she DID bring them to the subsequent place(s)...

If I were you I would inform the places that you stayed that you believe they have bedbugs, and that they should take care of things. Then they would know.




Well, no, not really.

That was actually a righteous lawsuit against a company that had had 700 previous claims for similar problems in the previous 10 years and had continued to keep their coffee between 180 and 190 degrees. By an elderly woman who was just trying to take the lid off of her coffee (while a passenger in a NON moving car), and subsequently "suffered full thickness burns (or third-degree burns) over 6 percent of her body, including her inner thighs, perineum, buttocks, and genital and groin areas". Hospitalized 8 days, had skin grafts and debridement.



Is that what you expect from YOUR coffee?

Well, thank you for enlightening me, Bumber. And I don't drink coffee, but I would expect it to be hot.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I agree with the majority that i cannot see how you could have any sort of a legal case here. Maybe, if the bites showed up right away and you had the room checked then, then yes I can see a company covering the costs of making sure you belongings were bug free--but otherwise who is to say if you picked up the bedbugs (if indeed they are the issue) at hotel #1, hotel#2 or the cabin--from the booths at a diner along the way or from a movie theatre, etc.
If you think hotel#1 is where they came from and you should have legal recourse, it would follow that hotel#2 and cabin should be able to go after YOU for taking them there. Ya know? I think as long as no one was knowingly bringing in (or not taking care of known) bedbugs then there is no culpability.

Beyond that--I would start by visiting your doctor to see if they can determine what kind of insect gave you the bites. The odds are high that bedbugs are not a factor at all. I notice someone else said chiggars, which was my first thought as well.

Good luck, I do hope you do not have to fight a bed bug battle in your home.

 

[cm8]

I agree with the majority that i cannot see how you could have any sort of a legal case here. Maybe, if the bites showed up right away and you had the room checked then, then yes I can see a company covering the costs of making sure you belongings were bug free--but otherwise who is to say if you picked up the bedbugs (if indeed they are the issue) at hotel #1, hotel#2 or the cabin--from the booths at a diner along the way or from a movie theatre, etc.
If you think hotel#1 is where they came from and you should have legal recourse, it would follow that hotel#2 and cabin should be able to go after YOU for taking them there. Ya know? I think as long as no one was knowingly bringing in (or not taking care of known) bedbugs then there is no culpability.

Beyond that--I would start by visiting your doctor to see if they can determine what kind of insect gave you the bites. The odds are high that bedbugs are not a factor at all. I notice someone else said chiggars, which was my first thought as well.

Good luck, I do hope you do not have to fight a bed bug battle in your home.

I do as well!!

 

[mrsklamc]

While I agree that the burns were drastic, considering the number of cups of coffee McDonald's serves, I'm shocked there were ONLY 700 claims that people had been burnt- no matter what the temperature of the coffee was.

 

[Buckalew11]

You typed *van we used* like it was NOT yours. Is it? Or a rental? Could they be in the van and not in a room you stayed in?

Hope you don't find them in your home or luggage.

I would think it'd be hard to figure out since you stayed in 3 places AND also the van.

 

[dispor]

You typed *van we used* like it was NOT yours. Is it? Or a rental? Could they be in the van and not in a room you stayed in?

Hope you don't find them in your home or luggage.

I would think it'd be hard to figure out since you stayed in 3 places AND also the van.

No, I just meant that we found it on our daughter when she was in our van - which is what we used on vacation (as opposed to our car). It was not a rental van.

UPDATE: I found two more bugs - one on the laundry room floor (moving slowly), and one on the floor of the shower (not moving, probably dead). I refuse to look at them through a magnifying glass, but they look like they are the same kind of bug as the one from the van. I'm taking all three in to the exterminator tomorrow. I'll upate you all when I find out what they are. It is not looking good, and I can't stop crying about it. I'll be glad when tomorrow is over. It'll either be good news (not bed bugs) or bad news. But at least if it's determined that they ARE bed bugs, DH will have to help me find a solution. Right now he refuses to even accept that they MAY be bed bugs, and I feel like I am facing this all alone.

Just to clarify something... (again, only if they turn out to actually BE bed bugs) - I am trying to find out if one of the places we stayed at was SEVERELY infested with bed bugs. In that case, yes, I think a hotel has an obligation to have its housekeepers routinely check the bedding and mattresses for evidence of bed bugs. I am not trying to make money off this, but I have read several times that it can take THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND MANY, MANY MONTHS to be rid of these things. I am imagining that a hotel that wouldn't even routinely check for the bed bugs would "own up" to them if I called them. (I'm sorry to sound like I have such little faith in them doing the right thing.)

I'm trying not to visit this thread too often, so I apologize if anyone asked a question and I didn't respond.

 

[bumbershoot]

Well, thank you for enlightening me, Bumber. And I don't drink coffee, but I would expect it to be hot.

Not sure why there's sarcasm there...I remember believing the soundbites, but then my sis in law became a lawyer and let me know the truth. I was very happy to know that it wasn't just a stupid thing, and that McDs was at extreme fault. I do hope you read the link. There was a lot more in there. Like how she originally just asked them for 20K for the hospital bills, and they just shut her down until she had to get a lawyer. And how the amount for actual damages was really low, but the punitive stuff was high, but later in the third appeal was lowered drastically and of course THAT was never put into a soundbite. And that the ultimate settlement was completely sealed, so we'll never know what the end of the story was.

McD's subsequently lowered the temperature by more than 40 degrees. The link had quotes by experts stating that a drink that's 180 could do a "full thickness" burn in just seconds...I believe I remember reading that she was wearing nylons as well, which of course made the situation even worse. Oh, and the damages were actually lowered by a certain percentage because the jury found that the woman was something like 20% at fault, so they did take personal responsibility into account.

I found it *fascinating* to know the truth, and that's why I share it (and have been rather often the last few weeks), because I figure people would rather know, and tell, the truth, rather than just pass along inaccurate information!

While I agree that the burns were drastic, considering the number of cups of coffee McDonald's serves, I'm shocked there were ONLY 700 claims that people had been burnt- no matter what the temperature of the coffee was.

I think if we remember that this was from the early 80s to the early 90s it might help out with that understanding. Coffee of course has always been drunk, and always been served by McDs, but it was nowhere near the level of importance as it is today.

Imagining if it happened now...the driver of the car would instantly tweet (b/c remember the car wasn't moving) about how she was burned and they were heading to the hospital, etc etc. McDs would probably have contacted HER, instead of her having to hunt them down!

 

[hinodis]

No, I just meant that we found it on our daughter when she was in our van - which is what we used on vacation (as opposed to our car). It was not a rental van.

UPDATE: I found two more bugs - one on the laundry room floor (moving slowly), and one on the floor of the shower (not moving, probably dead). I refuse to look at them through a magnifying glass, but they look like they are the same kind of bug as the one from the van. I'm taking all three in to the exterminator tomorrow. I'll upate you all when I find out what they are. It is not looking good, and I can't stop crying about it. I'll be glad when tomorrow is over. It'll either be good news (not bed bugs) or bad news. But at least if it's determined that they ARE bed bugs, DH will have to help me find a solution. Right now he refuses to even accept that they MAY be bed bugs, and I feel like I am facing this all alone.

Just to clarify something... (again, only if they turn out to actually BE bed bugs) - I am trying to find out if one of the places we stayed at was SEVERELY infested with bed bugs. In that case, yes, I think a hotel has an obligation to have its housekeepers routinely check the bedding and mattresses for evidence of bed bugs. I am not trying to make money off this, but I have read several times that it can take THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND MANY, MANY MONTHS to be rid of these things. I am imagining that a hotel that wouldn't even routinely check for the bed bugs would "own up" to them if I called them. (I'm sorry to sound like I have such little faith in them doing the right thing.)

I'm trying not to visit this thread too often, so I apologize if anyone asked a question and I didn't respond.

Why do you refuse to look at them with a magnifying glass? And you can't bring yourself to look at a link with a picture? If you look you may find out it is NOT a bedbug and you can sleep easy tonight. Have your DH look and see.

 

[dispor]

Why do you refuse to look at them with a magnifying glass? And you can't bring yourself to look at a link with a picture? If you look you may find out it is NOT a bedbug and you can sleep easy tonight. Have your DH look and see.

I guess I'm just afraid of confirming my own fears. I found these other two while DH is at his sister's house - he took the kids there to swim. I will have him look at them when he gets home. He has a magnifying glass that he uses for coins - hopefully the exterminators have something more powerful.

I have clicked on many, many links regarding bed bugs. Most of the pics are really magnified, so it's hard to compare. Also, I'm sure there are other bugs that look similar, especially without a magnifying glass. Rather than getting myself even more worked up by looking at more internet sites devoted to bed bugs, I'll wait and see what the exterminator has to say.