In the summer, families often have a chance to disconnect from work or school and take time for a vacation. Unfortunately, travelers can encounter uninvited bed bugs who can come home with them. They have an option to pursue compensation against the hotel or other place they stayed.
Bed bug harm
Bed bugs can cause a variety of harm. Their bites can cause rashes, itchy skin, allergic reactions and other skin conditions. If the person who is bitten scratches their skin excessively, it can lead to a bacterial infection. In serious situations, it can also cause blood loss, which must be treated.
In addition to the physical symptoms bed bugs can cause, it can be very expensive to eliminate bed bugs from a person’s home and to replace furniture or clothing that is infested.
Personal injury claim
A person who is bitten by bed bugs may have a personal injury claim. In Virginia, there are several elements the victim must prove.
First, they must demonstrate that the hotel or other place where they contracted the bed bugs owed a duty of care to them. Then, they must prove that the place breached their duty of care. This means that their actions fell below the standard of care. Hotels and rentals are expected to be free from hazards, like bed bugs.
The victim must also show that the breach of duty directly caused their injuries and finally, the victim must have suffered actual damages like pain and suffering, medical expenses or emotional distress.
There is help available to pursue a personal injury claim.