A lawyer in Edmonton, Canada won $24,000 in damages after winning a lawsuit against the Chateau Lake Louise hotel in Calgary, Canada.
Omar Abdulhak stayed at the hotel in May 2019 for two days. On both days, he woke up with painful welts all over his body, which were quickly confirmed to be bed bug bites.
A report by Abdulhak’s physician was used as evidence in the case supporting the diagnosis.
The Chateau, however, presented evidence that Abdulhak’s problems were a one-time occurrence. According to hotel representatives, other guests stayed in the same room and had no problems with bed bugs.
The judge noted a similar pattern having occurred in the past: the hotel was accused of being infested, but their own internal reports found no signs of bed bug activity. She stated that Chateau Lake Louise should not have discarded Abdulhak’s complaint simply because nobody else had issues with the room.
Because of this, the judge ruled that the hotel displayed negligence in its handling of a bed bug infestation and would be required to compensate Abdulhak for damages.
Abdulhak was awarded $15,000 in general damages relating to physical and emotional duress, which included PTSD after the incident. He was awarded an additional $8,745 to compensate for lost wages and $400 for psychological treatment.
The details of this case were reported by the Calgary Herald on March 17th, 2021.