How Much is the Average Bed Bug Settlement in 2020?

Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic isn’t the only widespread problem with which Americans have to deal. While not on the scale of the pandemic, the bed bug infestation in the country has begun to grow. These are small red or black bugs that feed on human blood and live in dark places, like your mattress’s seams. Some suspect this is because bed bugs have developed a tolerance to conventional pesticides.

Bed bugs can cause immense damage to people and property, which leads to legal disputes between tenants and landlords. The process involves determining responsibility, the scope and cost of the damages, and more. Here’s the value of the average bed bug settlement and what goes into determining it.

Value Determinants

The value of a bed bug settlement has many determinants, but three major ones are how much you were bitten, mental damages, and property damages.

The number of bites will determine how convincing your argument is for bed bugs. Essentially, you need to prove two things with your case.

Firstly, you need to prove that bed bugs are, in fact, responsible for your bites. If you’ve only been bitten a few times, your case isn’t all the convincing. Double-digit numbers of bites typically mean bed bugs are present, and more than fifty may imply this is a long-term infestation.

Secondly, you need to prove that the bites damaged you in some way. You can be compensated for mental damages, such as worsening mental health. Bed bugs can consistently disrupt your sleep, lead to anxiety and depression, and much more.

Proving this can be difficult in instances where you already have preexisting mental illnesses. However, if you can trace your damages to, say, sleep disruptions, and trace that to the infestation, then you can be compensated.

Other than mental damages, you can also be compensated for property damages. Any clothing or furniture that’s infested with bed bugs needs to be thrown out. So, if your landlord is found liable for the damages, they may have to compensate you for the lost furniture.

Average Value

Compensation ultimately depends on whether you can prove that the infestation occurred due to your landlord’s negligence. The average value of a bed bug settlement is somewhere between $25,000 and $50,000. However, there are outliers depending on the scope of the infestation and damages. For instance, in 2018, there was a $1.6 million bed bug settlement.

If you’ve suffered damages due to a bed bug infestation, get in touch with us at Mike Massey Law. Our services include personal injury, estate planning, probate, and more. We provide our services in Houston, Travis, Austin, and Harris County. Contact us, and we’ll see your case through.