What are Bed Bug Bites in Hotel Claims?
If you have sustained bed bug bites while a guest in a hotel, you may be eligible to make bed bug bites in hotel claims for compensation. A compensation claim for bed bug bites in a hotel is a legal civil action which can be made when the accommodation in which you were staying has a responsibility for your health and safety and has failed in its “duty of care” to prevent an injury from bed bugs biting you.
Many people suffer bed bug bites when staying in hotels, and some people believe that the injury is so small or difficulty so great in making bed bug bites in hotel claims – especially when their hotel was located overseas – that it is not worth making a claim for bed bug bites compensation. However, if you have experienced a severe reaction to the bites, and your overseas hotel accommodation was booked by a USA-registered tour operator as part of a package deal, you will be able to make a bed bug bites in a hotel claim for compensation against the tour operator rather than against the hotel – irrespective of where the hotel was located.
What is meant by a Hotel´s “Duty of Care”?
In order to successfully claim compensation for bed bug bites in a hotel, it has to be proven that the hotel, resort or other guest accommodation was negligent by failing to identify a risk of injury and replace the infected bed to prevent the bed bug bites from occurring – and that the hotel´s negligence in failing to make its facilities safe resulted in you sustaining an injury. This breach in their duty of care makes the hotel liable for your injuries and gives you the right to make a claim for bed bug bites in a hotel.
It should however be explained that an accommodation´s duty of care is not always “absolute”. This means that if a hazard had only just appeared and the staff at the hotel did not have a reasonable period of time in which to identify the hazard and remove the infected bed, it may not always be possible to claim compensation for bed bug bites in a hotel. For this reason, it is always in your best interests to discuss the injuries you sustained from being bitten by bed bugs with a lawyer to establish that you are qualified to make a claim for bed bug bites compensation.
Your Health Comes before a Claim for Bed Bug Bites
When making a claim for bed bug bites in a hotel, in addition to establishing that the hotel was in breach of its duty of care, it is also important to prove that your bed bug bites resulted in an injury. Consequently it is vital that, after sustaining an injury due to being bitten by bed bugs, you receive professional medical attention as soon as possible. By immediately visiting the nearest hospital or clinic, the injuries that you sustained due to the bed bug bites will be officially recorded and can be added to your medical notes along with any ongoing treatment or long term consequences to your health on your return home.
If you waited until you returned home to seek professional medical attention, or relied on first aid administered at the hotel, it could be claimed by the hotel or tour operator that your bed bug bite injuries were not significant enough to warrant hospital attention at the time, or that you contributed to the extent of your injury by delaying a professional examination. You will still be entitled to claim compensation for bed bug bites in a hotel, but how much compensation you receive may be reduced to reflect your own lack of care.
Making Compensation Claims for Bed Bug Bites in a Hotel
Once it can be determined that you have suffered an injury due to a hotel´s breach in its duty of care, you can make compensation claims for bed bug bites in a hotel against the USA hotel or USA-registered tour operator. Your lawyer will write to the negligent party, advising it that you are making a claim for bed bug bites and the hotel or tour operator – or more frequently, their public liability insurers – then has 90 days to conduct its own investigation into your claims of a bed bug infestation and advise your lawyer whether they will accept liability for your injuries.
If liability for your bed bug bites injuries is accepted by the negligent hotel or tour operator, your lawyer will liaise with their public liability insurance company to obtain the maximum possible settlement of compensation for bed bug bites in a hotel. Should liability for your injuries be contested, your lawyer will issue court proceedings – an action which often prompts an offer of settlement from the negligent party´s public liability insurers, who may be reluctant to take a chance on the outcome of your bed bug bites in a hotel claim for compensation and keen to save money on potential court costs.
As offers of settlement for bed bug bites in hotel claims may be made to you directly by the insurance company, it is advisable to be aware of how much compensation for bed bug bites in a hotel you may be entitled to, in order that you do not inadvertently accept an inappropriate offer and are undercompensated. Should you accept an offer of compensation for bed bug bites in a hotel which is inadequate for your needs, you cannot go back to the insurance company and ask for more!
How Much Can I Claim for Bed Bug Bites in a Hotel?
How much compensation for bed bug bites in a hotel you will be entitled to receive will depend on the nature and severity of your bed bug bites injury in relation to your age, the location and visibility of the bites and your general state of health prior to being bitten by bed bugs. The way in which the bed bug bite injury affects your quality of life will also be taken into account, and it is advisable that you maintain a diary in order to record the occasions when you are unable to perform day-to-day tasks or participate in leisure and social pursuits as a consequence of any reaction to the bed bug bites.
Any expenses you have incurred for medical treatment can be recovered in a claim for bed bug bites, along with any sundry costs and any loss of earnings if the visibility of the bed bug bites prevents you from working. Consequently, no two bed bug bites in a hotel claims are the same – even when the injuries sustained are identical – and this is a good reason why you should always seek professional legal advice when claiming compensation for bed bug bites in a hotel.
“Contingency Fee” Bed Bug Bites in a Hotel Claims
Most lawyers will offer a free initial assessment of your bed bug bites injury, and advise you whether you have a claim for beg bug bites in a hotel which is worth your while to pursue. Should you have a bed bug bites in a hotel claim which has a strong probability of success, you will be offered legal representation on a “Contingency Fee” basis.
“Contingency Fee” bed bug bites in a hotel claims enable you to pursue compensation for your injuries without having to worry about lawyer´s fees if your claim for a bed bug bites in a hotel is unsuccessful. However, as you may be liable for the hotel´s or tour operator´s legal fees if your case is lost, lawyers offering “Contingency Fee” bed bug bites in a hotel claims will want to know of any legal fees insurance you may have attached to a household contents or car insurance policy and will recommend that you to take out additional protection if necessary.
Free Legal Advice about Bed Bug Bites in a Hotel Claims
If you, or somebody close to you, have been bitten by bed bugs in a hotel, you are invited to call our freephone service and discuss the circumstances of your bed bug hotel injury directly with an experienced public liability lawyer. Our lawyer will provide you with practical and helpful advice which is relative to your personal circumstances and answer any questions you may have about claiming compensation for being bitten by bed bugs in a hotel.
There is no obligation on you to proceed with a claim for bed bug bites in a hotel once you have spoken with us and all conversations between yourself and our lawyers are completely confidential. We would advise that you speak with us as soon as practical after you have received professional medical attention following any reaction to your bed bug bites to maximise the likelihood of a successful compensation claim for bed bug bites in a hotel.