Bahamas

Woman Sues Atlantis Paradise Island Resort Over Bed Bug Bites

A woman’s trip to the Bahamas was just supposed to be a getaway from her kids; instead she says it scarred her for life after she suffered bed bug bites.

A paradise vacation in the Bahamas quickly turned into a problem when Cindi Avila spent a weekend at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort.

“Day four or five after the bed bug bites and it just gets more miserable by the second. I really have never been in so much pain in my life,” said Avila.

After being bit by a bed bug she said she complained to the manager, took out her camera and started recording.

She found bed bugs, hundreds of them, feasting in her hotel room. She was stuck with the pain for months.

“Things are just swelling up everywhere all over my body. It’s literally unbearable. I haven't slept in days and I just want to crawl out of my skin, die or go to the hospital. It’s literally the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Avila said.

Her pesky trip was a year ago, but after failed attempts to reach a satisfactory end, she’s filed a lawsuit against the hotel for emotional distress.

She hired attorney Michael Winkleman to work her case.

“The number of bites, the size of the bites, really terrified me she was literally eaten alive that night,” said Winkleman.

In a statement to NBC 6, Atlantis said it took care of the situation immediately, took the room out of service, and compensated Avila’s stay.

The hotel added:

"The resort offered to reimburse Ms. Avila for any medical bills resulting from her experience, which she declined. Since that time, Ms. Avila has repeatedly, and through three different attorneys, attempted to extract a large financial settlement from the resort and threatened intimidation in the media if her financial demands were not met. "

Avila’s attorney denied that charge and said they’ve never tried to intimidate the hotel. Avila said she doesn’t want to see what happened to her happen to anybody else. The lawsuit seeks damages for more than $15,000.

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