Bed Bugs Fire up Lawsuits Nationwide
By Meyerkord & Meyerkord
Mar. 11, 2011 4:26p
Bed bugs are small parasitic insects that feed on the blood of mammals and birds, including humans. They live in mattresses, headboards, in walls, in flooring, in linens and furniture. They live in close proximity to where people sleep in homes, hotels and other living quarters. Bed bugs are insidious in nature, feeding at night when people sleep. People don’t usually realize they were a bed bug smorgasbord until a few days later, when itchy welts appear. If you have sustained bed bug bites as a result of a property owner’s negligence, contact a St. Louis personal injury attorney for more information about a possible personal injury claim.
American’s first observed bed bugs in the early 1700’s. Many of the issues with bed bugs can be found referenced in early scripts and American literature. People believed that sail boats returning from trips to Europe were infested with bed bugs. Sailors were widely known to complain about being attacked by these bugs in their cabins at night.
The bed bug population saw a marked decrease in the world after DDT was introduced in the 1950’s, however the pesticide was banned in the 1970’s. Bed bugs have made a comeback, with the level of bed bug infestations being level with the 1950’s and the numbers continue to grow. Up to 25%of residents in certain cities are reporting problems with bed bugs, usually in low-class, urban areas.
Thanks to the popularity of world travel, bed bugs are making their presence known as they are transported from one country and introduced to another by sticking to clothing, luggage and even the human body. Bed bugs can be found in hotels, motels, Inns, on airlines and in cargo holds.
Hotel guests across the country have been bringing premises liability suits against hotels citing negligence for permitting dangerous conditions to exist on their property, fraudulent concealment and more. A woman made an out-of-court settlement for $71,000 with the Ramada Plaza Hotel in San Francisco after receiving more than 400 bed bug bites during her stay.
St. Louis Premises Liability Attorney
If you have been a victim of bug bites while visiting someone else’s property, you may be entitled to compensation from a personal injury claim. Contact a St. Louis premises liability lawyer from Meyerkord & Meyerkord, LLC today to discuss your case.
Contact a St. Louis premises liability attorney from our firm today for a free initial consultation.