Bed bugs began infesting homes, apartments, hotels and workplaces again after decades of not causing massive infestations in the United States. People exposed to bed bugs often suffer needlessly because of bed bugs in the Washington DC area. Do you believe you have a bed bug case? Receive a free consultation with the Washington D.C. Bed Bug Attorneys to discuss your pre-litigation bed bug case representation.
How do I know if I have bed bugs?
The Washington DC Department of Health explains that bed bugs have the ability to “Conceal themselves in any tight crack or crevice.” Therefore, if you look only on your bed and bedding in your Washington DC home, apartment or hotel, you will likely miss many places where bed bugs hide. Bed bugs hide along baseboards, on and in furniture, behind pictures or other wall décor and behind electrical faceplates.
Do not think that because you stay in a fancy hotel or move into the best neighborhood that you are safe from the devastating effects and damages of bed bug infestations in Washington DC. The Department of Health indicates, “Bed bugs do not discriminate and have been known to thrive in the fanciest hotels and homes…”
You are not safe from the pain, suffering and embarrassment associated with bed bugs simply because you take precautions to avoid getting bed bugs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains that bed bugs have the capability of traveling up to twenty feet from their hiding place to find a host. This means that bed bugs have no problem traveling from hiding places in the Washington DC home you just moved into, through adjoining vents or doorways between apartments or Washington DC hotel rooms or from hiding places at work to feed on you, their new host.
Is it true that I can get sick from bed bugs in Washington D.C.?
If you are exposed to bed bugs in the Washington D.C. area, you are at risk of suffering the devastating effects of exposure to bed bugs. People used to believe that bed bugs do not carry or transmit diseases.
Researchers finally realize that bed bugs are much more than simply annoying. As pathogen carrying vectors, the presence of bed bugs in your Washington D.C. home, apartment or workplace puts you and your loved ones at risk of serious health problems as well as other significant damages.
What health problems can result from bed bug bites?
Penn Medicine released results of a study conducted by Penn Medicine researchers, led by study author Michael Z. Levy, PhD, assistant professor in the department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and researchers from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Peru. Researchers conducted a series of studies, with results revealing, “Bed bugs, like the triatomines, can transmit Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease.” Chagas disease affects up to eight million people worldwide and kills an estimated 50,000 people annually.
You could also suffer intense itching from the bites that could possibly result in an infection, an all over feeling of illness, an elevated body temperature, a serious allergic reaction to bed bug bites and other consequences of exposure to bed bugs. Discovering that you suffered bed bug bites or that you have a bed bug infestation in your home does not come with the simple eradication methods of days gone by.
Common insecticides do not work on bed bugs. Yet homeowners, landlords, hotel owners, managers, and employers potentially use common sprays that have no effect, except to possibly make bed bugs more resistant. The National Institutes of Health revealed that when researchers tested bed bugs discovered at two apartment buildings outside Paris, every bed bug tested showed evidence of mutation.
Can I recover damages due to bed bug bites or an infestation in Washington DC?
Individuals exposed to bed bugs likely suffer both monetary and non-monetary damages.
Monetary damages include things such as medical expenses, prescriptions and over-the-counter products, expenses on products to treat infestations, property damages and replacement costs. Other monetary damages include travel to and from medical appointments, home extermination costs, costs of cleaning carpets, vehicles, and clothes, and the cost of replacing certain items such as clothing, shoes, luggage, bedding, and more. In some cases people may need to spend money on moving and breaking a lease if infestations are bad enough. Victims can also experience lost wages if they need to stay home from work due to the need for an exterminator visit or other reason related to infestations.
Non-monetary damages includes your emotional and psychological suffering, scarring from bed bug bites, embarrassment from bed bug bites as well as the multiple inconveniences of being exposed to bed bugs. Victims can also experience other inconveniences such as the need to attend appointments for bite treatments, cleaning and purchasing of certain items, switching to new hotels or new homes, along with loss of sleep. People can also suffer from embarrassment of being covered in bed bug bites, with bites and welts often visible on the face, arms, and legs, which often result in wearing clothing that sufficiently covers these injuries.
Together, both the monetary and non-monetary damages can be difficult to recover without the assistance of an experienced bed bug attorney.
Can I sue for bed bugs with a bed bug bite attorney in Washington D.C.?
If you believe that negligence of hotel management or other parties has resulted in a bed bug infestation, you may be able to receive compensation with the help of a bed bug bite lawyer in Washington D.C. He or she will be able to develop your case and work with you to learn what you are eligible to receive.
Learn more about pre-litigation Washington D.C. bed bug attorneys & case representation during your free consultation to discuss your specific bed bug case.