Our client in Romania wins claim after London bed bugs ordeal

We secured £1,500 for Mihai after accommodation on a business trip left him with itchy, unsightly bed bug bites all over his body.

In August this year, Mihai was on a 4-night business trip in London arranged by his employer.  He had travelled from Romania and was staying at a leading hotel chain’s premises in the heart of the city.

During his third day at the hotel, he noticed he had some itching welts on his arms. At this stage, he didn’t know what they were.  However, the following evening the itching got worse and several other bites were dotted across his arms, legs and shoulders.   On inspecting his bed, he found that he had been sharing it with some unwanted companions:

“I saw 4 or 5 bed bugs crawling around,” Mihai says.  “Because there were so many bites, the itching was terrible; I didn’t get much sleep that night.”

Bites covered Mihai’s body

Bed bugs hide away when they are not feeding; Mihai made sure he took photos and videos of the critters in the bed, as well as photos of the bites all over his body and reported his experience to hotel staff who completed a complaint form.

The Hotel responds

Mihai searched the internet and got in touch with Holiday Claims Bureau right away.  Back in Romania, he applied antihistamine gel to the bites and arranged an appointment with a dermatologist.

“The hotel was sympathetic in its response to my complaint and told me that pest control had been called out for an immediate investigation,” Mihai says. “They refunded the cost of the accommodation to my employer but this didn’t address the discomfort and distress I’d experienced personally.”

We put together the Claim Notification form to be sent to the hotel’s insurer.  This set out the chronology of events and the legal basis of Mihai’s claim in the UK, with reference to the evidence he had wisely gathered.  It’s important to get this right as bed bugs can travel with people and accommodation providers commonly try and argue that bitten guests bring the insects to the hotel in their luggage.

With medication, the itching eased and the bites began to go down, but It was around 6 weeks before they fully healed and Mihai returned to normal health.

Liability is admitted

A few weeks after the claim was submitted, the Defendant admitted liability for Mihai’s injuries.

After researching the relevant case law and guidelines, we put forward an offer of £1,500 to the insurer. This would cover both the suffering caused by the bites and the cost of Mihai’s medication in Romania.  The Defendant was agreeable to this offer and the matter was settled without the need for court proceedings.

“…thanks again for all your efforts and help with this matter. The payment could not have come at a better time.” – Mihai

Have bud bugs been a problem during your holiday stay?

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