Lawsuit alleges bedbugs at East Liberty's Hotel Indigo

An Indianapolis man is suing Hotel Indigo in East Liberty after he claimed he got bedbugs when he stayed there on a work trip.

Christopher Carlson filed the complaint against the hotel in Allegheny County Court on Monday.

It also names as defendants the former general manager of the North Highland Avenue hotel; Urgo Hotels LP and InterContinental Hotels Group Resources LLC, which operated the hotel.

Messages left for the various entities were not returned late Monday.

Carlson stayed at the hotel from Sept. 30, 2019, through Oct. 4.

“Although the hotel had a history of bedbug infestation, it was not disclosed to plaintiff before he rented the hotel room,” the lawsuit said. “It was a nightmare for plaintiff.”

The complaint does not specify when that history occurred or how Carlson knows that to be the case.

According to the lawsuit, after Carlson returned to Indianapolis, he noticed bedbug bites, which “significantly worsened” by the next day.

Carlson developed intensely itchy red bites across his body and sought medical treatment, the lawsuit said. He also contacted the hotel to report the alleged infestation, the complaint continued.

The lawsuit alleges that Carlson suffered injuries, emotional distress and anxiety from the situation, including “consequential economic and property damage.”

“Had plaintiff been made aware of the hotel’s ongoing infestation in the hotel room, he would never have agreed to rent that hotel room or stay within that hotel,” the lawsuit said.

The complaint goes into detail about the health hazard presented by bedbugs, including how they bite.

“If conscious during the bite, a slight tingling sensation may be experienced as the bedbug hooks the claws on its forelegs into the host’s skin to gain leverage and probe. The bite is produced by an elongated beak through which they draw blood and inject saliva,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit continued that it is well known in hotel and property management that bedbugs spread quickly from room-to-room and floor-to-floor.

“Bedbugs can be transferred among people, creating great social, emotional and financial stress on sufferers. It is common for bed bug victims to develop intense anxiety and fear of continual bug bites. Bedbug bites can create considerable anxiety and are a hazard to mental health. People who are repeatedly bitten may develop nervous behavior, agitation, sleeplessness, chronic fatigue and paranoia.”

The lawsuit alleges negligence for failing to promptly investigate and disclose the bedbug infestation, as well as breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress.