I went with my family of four to The Hard Rock Hotel in Cancun Mexico to celebrate my 20th Wedding Anniversary and my daughter’s Sweet 16. I went with my husband and two teenage daughters.
On the first night there there was a baby crying in the next room. The baby cried all night. The next morning we asked for a room change. We were given a room that was far away from everything and the view was not as nice. We were then switched to room 548. The day after that my daughter and husband developed a rash. Then my other daughter and I developed a rash. We thought it was an allergic reaction to something.
We showed the people at the concierge desk. We were advised that we should just purchase Benadryl since it looked like an allergy and the doctor would be an extra expense. For the rest of our trip we were sleepy and still had the rashes. When we came home we went to the doctor the next day.
Two different doctors said that we were bitten by bed bugs. My husband and daughter were bitten hundreds of times. I had about 35 bites and my other daughter had about 50. The hotel manager emailed me that the room has been fumigated twice since we left. She then said that she was forwarding all of my information to their insurance company.
We are having a bed bug dog come to our home today since I found one bed bug in my bedroom. I have not been able to sleep at night and keep my vanity light on so that if one crawls on me I can see it.
What exactly should I expect to be reimbursed for?
Bedbugs do not seem to spread disease to people. But itching from the bites can be so bad that some people will scratch enough to cause breaks in the skin that get infected easily. The bites can also cause an allergic reaction in some people.
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Answer
Dear Dolores,
Bedbugs are small, reddish-brown parasitic insects which bite the exposed skin of sleeping humans and animals to feed on their blood. Although bedbugs aren’t known to spread disease, they can cause extreme discomfort in those who have been bitten. These insidious creatures can be found hiding in the cracks and crevices of beds, box springs, headboards, bed frames and any other objects around a bed.
The risk of encountering bedbugs increases for those who spend time in places with high turnovers of nighttime guests, such as in hotels, hospitals or homeless shelters. Bedbug bites usually do not require medical treatment. Home treatment can include over-the-counter antihistamine pills or creams such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl).
Fortunately, none of you sustained permanent injuries. At a minimum, the Hard Rock Cafe Corporation should reimburse you for the costs of medical treatment. It would also be appropriate for the them to reimburse you for the cost of the rooms in their Cancun hotel.
Contact the Hard Rock Headquarters at: 6100 Old Park Lane, Orlando, FL 32835 – Phone: (407) 445-7625.
Tell them what happened and ask to speak with someone who can address the issues. In the interim, monitor the bites and seek medical attention if the symptoms persist.
Under the circumstances, legal action will not be required. It would be very difficult to find an attorney to represent you and your family. The injuries and resulting medical bills are just not high enough for the attorney to secure enough compensation for you and for the attorney.
Learn more here: Hotel Liability for Guest Injuries
The above is general information. Laws change frequently, and across jurisdictions. You should get a personalized case evaluation from a licensed attorney.
Find a local attorney to give you a free case review here, or call 888-972-0892.
We wish you the best with your claim,
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Actually, bed bug bites (whether infected or not) are considered by the courts to be serious injuries.
Getting compensation for them from a hotel or landlord is determined by proving that negligence occurred once the establishment was made aware of the infestation.