Virginia family sues Delta and KLM airlines after being bitten by bedbugs during flight
The family claims the bites caused welts, injuries, and itchy rashes on their torso and limbs
The last thing you'd expect on a flight that's supposed to be comfortable is for these pests to invade your personal space. At least that's what happened to a family from Albuquerque, residents of Roanoke, Virginia, who claim the bites caused welts, injuries, and Itchy rashes on their torsos and limbs.
Delta Air Lines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have been sued by a family who alleges they were “bitten and injured by bed bugs that had infested the cabin” of a flight they took earlier this year.
In the complaint, The family claims the bites caused welts, injuries, and itchy rashes on their torsos and limbs. The lawsuit includes close-up photographs of the alleged injuries.
The bites “ruined their family vacation and caused humiliation, embarrassment, anxiety, discomfort, inconvenience, medical expenses, and loss of clothing and personal items,” the lawsuit states.
The family of four took a Delta flight from Roanoke to Atlanta on March 21, followed by a KLM flight to Amsterdam and then on to Belgrade, Serbia, where they planned to visit relatives and friends, according to the lawsuit. The flights were operated by KLM and purchased through Delta's SkyMiles program, according to the lawsuit.
“Approximately two hours into the flight (to Amsterdam), Ms. Garcia began to feel insect bites,” the lawsuit states. “That's when she realized she had insects crawling on her light-colored sweater.”
The lawsuit claims the husband and wife “immediately alerted the flight attendants,” who allegedly “urged them to lower their voices to avoid 'panic' on the plane.”
The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages from both airlines in the amount of at least $200,000.
Bed bugs do not directly transmit infectious diseases, but their bites cause itching, insomnia, and can lead to secondary infections from scratching.
Despite this, The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recognize bed bugs as public health pests due to their effects on mental, anxiety, stress, and physical health.