Bedbugs Lead to Waldorf-Astoria Lawsuit
Bedbugs are taking a bite out of one of the Big Apple's most well-known, luxury hotels. The Waldorf-Astoria is now the defendant in the second of two bedbug lawsuits to be filed in a few weeks. This suit, filed by a Michigan couple, claims they were attacked by bedbugs during their stay at the New York hotel, the pests then hitched a ride in their luggage and infested their home.
David and Christine Drabicki of Plymouth, Michigan, are suing the Waldorf Astoria for the buggy "nightmare" they claim to have suffered, reports CBS News. According to the couple, they awoke after one night in the hotel, covered in bites. They were moved to another room and offered complimentary spa treatments. Upon returning home, the couple placed their allegedly infested luggage in the garage, allowing the persistent pests to infiltrate their home.
The Drabicki's children were also bitten, and after an emergency room trip due to allergic reactions to the bites, the Drabicki's moved out for six weeks to allow exterminators to fumigate their home, CBS reports.
Bedbug lawsuits like this one will become more and more common as stories of infestations from New York and other cities increase. Under these circumstances, negligence claims would appear to be the most likely of claims. Plaintiffs like the Drabickis could lead to compensation for costs connected with the bugs, including extermination costs, hospital costs and the cost of relocation while the bedbugs were sprayed.
The Waldorf Astoria, however, is not taking these claims lying down. A Waldorf Astoria spokesperson said the guest rooms where the Drabickis stayed were taken out of service. Both rooms the couple occupied were then tested for the presence of pests by a "licensed technician." Follow-up tests also found no bugs.
As noted in a prior post, bedbugs are starting to bite into the tourism industry in New York. The concern is growing nationwide, so much so that there is a new iPhone app for locating areas with reports of bedbug infestations.
Related Resources:
- Waldorf-Astoria Facing Second Bedbug Lawsuit! (Gothamist)
- Bedbugs, Definition (The Mayo Clinic)
- Bed Bug Infestations, Bed Bug Lawsuits On the Rise? (FindLaw's Injured)
- EPA Warns of Unsafe, Scam Bed Bug Exterminators (FindLaw's Common Law)
