Bitten by Bed Bugs? Get Free Legal Advice
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Every year we help over a thousand injured people make claims for compensation on a no win no fee basis. Many of these claims are for bed bug bites at hotels, holiday resorts, healthcare facilities, shops and offices.
Our service is designed to be easy to use: meetings by phone & email, local medical appointments, sign documents online, or visit our city centre offices.
Our solicitors are very experienced having worked at the firm for an average of 18 years.
Customer service is very important to us. John Bartlett has been managing the firm for over 40 years and takes customer satisfaction very seriously.
- Bed Bug Population Increasing
- Bed Bug Bites at Hotels
- Problems of Bed Bug Detection & Eradication
- Dealing With Bed Bug Bites and Infestations
- Medical Risks of Bed Bug Bites
- Holidays & Bed Bug Infestations
- Bed Bugs in Hospitals & Healthcare Facilities
- Case Study: Suing a Hotel for Bed Bug Bites
- Case Study: Compensation for Bed Bug Bites on Cruise Ship
- Case Study: Children Bitten by Bed Bugs at Holiday Resort
Experts agree that the causes of the current bed bug epidemic are down to two essential factors. Firstly, like most parasites, bed bugs have developed immunity to insecticides over a period of time. Having been virtually eliminated in developed countries in the 1970's and 1980's, pest control firms have long since turned their attention to other insects, and adapted their products accordingly. Secondly in the era of globalisation and cheap international travel, bed bugs are being transferred around the world at ever-increasing speed in clothing and luggage, causing outbreaks in multiple locations.
Our firm has particular expertise in suing for bed bug bites, and has successfully represented hundreds of clients in these specialist claims over the years.
As the bed bug problem continues to increase, it is not just cases in hotels, hostels and rented accommodation, there are also regular newspaper and radio reports about bed bugs on planes, in cinemas, on public transport, in offices and just about any other location that people visit. We all expect to be able to use these facilities without fear of bed bug bites, but often those responsible fail to take the necessary to protect the public.
Taking legal action when problems occur helps those responsible see that they need to take steps to prevent the same happening to other people in the future, and helps those affected seek closure to what can be a traumatic and stressful experience.
A recent U.S. report found that 97% of pest control experts had been called out to exterminate bed bugs in the past 12 months, while two-thirds stated that the number of bed bug calls they receive was increasing. Returning holidaymakers need to be aware of the danger of bringing bed bugs home with them, and there are a number of important recommendations to prevent private home infestations:
1) Luggage: Experts recommend opening suitcases and bags away from any upholstered furniture or soft furnishings when arriving at a holiday destination, as these are the most common locations where bed bugs hide. If there is even a remote possibility that you have brought the insects home with you, the contents of your luggage should be run through a dryer cycle on a high heat for at least 15 minutes, which will kill the bed bugs.
2) Holiday purchases: If you have bought clothing or soft or upholstered items of furniture while on holiday (particularly if purchased second hand), even after a close inspection you may not have noticed bed bugs or their eggs hiding inside. Again, such items should be run through the dryer on a high heat for a minimum of 15 minutes before being washed normally.
3) Handbags, purses and wallets: According to the specialists, the lining and pockets of small leather goods of this kind are common places to find stowaway bed bugs. Holidaymakers should check these items thoroughly before returning home to avert the possibility of a difficult to eradicate home infestation.
4) Soft items: Stuffed toys and similar furry objects are perfect places for bed bugs to avoid detection. Children’s soft toys can be put in the dryer on a high heat as described above, while holidaymakers with any other furry item, such as a faux fur jacket collar, should be particularly aware of what a suitable location these articles make for bed bugs to hide out.
Bed bug infestations are clearly on the rise, and can be difficult, time-consuming and expensive to get rid of. Holidaymakers need to be aware of the risk of bed bugs travelling home with them, and follow these simple steps to prevent the possibility of an infestation. If you have been bitten by bed bugs at a holiday destination, contact our team of experts to discuss the matter and find out if you can claim personal injury compensation for what can turn a much-anticipated trip away into a nightmare experience.
Bed bugs are extremely good at concealing themselves, and may be found in mattresses, bedding, bed frames, headboards, soft furniture, clothing and even behind pictures on the wall. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities need to have clear policies in place to address the risk of bed bugs. In particular, staff need to be trained to spot bed bugs and signs of an infestation, and a bed bug protocol should be in place both to prevent infestations and to eradicate bed bugs as soon as evidence of their presence emerges. Our firm has recently handled bed bug bite claims on behalf of both patients and employees at healthcare facilities, with compensation awards reflecting the discomfort and distress that bed bug bites typically cause.
The day after returning home, Mr L received a call confirming that the room had tested positive for bed bugs and had been temporarily taken out of service. They also offered to refund his stay in full. By this point however, Mr L had been forced to spend a considerable amount of money on disinfecting both his own home, and the home of parents, where he often stayed. Mr L subsequently instructed Bartletts Solicitors to begin a personal injury claim against the hotel, as he was dissatisfied by their response to the incident. This was a reasonably simple case to resolve, as the hotel fully admitted responsibility for Mr L’s bed bug bites, and the latter’s doctor confirmed the extent of the skin damage they had caused. We were able to negotiate a compensation settlement totalling £4,000, reflecting the liability of the hotel for the injury done to Mr L, and the financial expenses he had incurred as a result.
On his return home, Mr D got in touch with our firm to discuss the situation. We advised him that despite the fact that the trip took place in international waters, it had been booked with a UK tour operator, and as per the Package Travel Regulations 1992, it was therefore possible to make a compensation claim against the latter party. In correspondence with the tour operator we noted the extent to which the couple’s holiday had been ruined by the bed bugs issue. The cruise liner owed passengers a duty of care to protect them for injuries, including bed bug bites, and furthermore, the crew had compounded the problem by failing to give the couple a different cabin, and by their botched attempt at eradicating the bed bugs. This case was relatively simple to resolve in our client’s favour given the evidence, and Mr D ended up receiving £3,500 in compensation for being bitten by bed bugs on a cruise ship and the resulting loss of enjoyment of his holiday.
Important: We can look at any potential claim in England and Wales regardless of how the holiday booking was made. However, to make a compensation claim for bed bug bites, or any accident, injury or illness on holiday abroad, your trip must have been booked as a package holiday with a UK tour operator.
Despite the family’s best cleaning efforts prior to departure, the bed bugs had already infiltrated the children’s luggage, and the family home later required the services of pest control specialists to eradicate a bed bugs infestation. Mr and Mrs F complained to the resort’s management, and were offered a refund on their stay, but feeling that this was a wholly inadequate response to what they had gone through, decided to seek legal advice.
As both children were minors in the eyes of the law, their parents were required to act on their behalf, and subsequently instructed Bartletts Solicitors to make a claim against the holiday resort for the pain, suffering and disruption to the family holiday that had resulted from the bed bug bites. In correspondence, we pointed out that holiday resorts are subject to the terms of the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, and must take all reasonable measures to prevent foreseeable hazards, such as a bed bugs infestation, from causing harm to their visitors. In this case, we argued that the resort was clearly liable for failing to provide Mr and Mrs F’s children with reasonably safe accommodation. Following an admission of liability from the holiday resort’s insurers, the children received a combined total of compensation in excess of £5,000 for their injuries, and the loss of enjoyment of their holiday.
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Bartletts is proud to support a number of public bodies and charities, including Liverpool Cathedral, National Museums Liverpool, the Walker Art Gallery and Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice. You can find out more on our blog or on social media.
“I was delighted Bartletts Solicitors continued their tradition of philanthropy with Liverpool Cathedral this year. Thank you so much for your generous gift.” - The Dean of Liverpool, The Very Revd Dr. Sue Jones (Dec 2020)