Of all the bugs that can bug a person, bed bugs may be the worst, due to their biting and ability to invade furniture. One Maryland woman had to face this nightmare, but was handsomely compensated by a court for the pain.

69-year-old Faika Shaaban was awarded $800,000 last week in a lawsuit against the landlord of an Annapolis apartment she rented. The Baltimore Sun has more:

In the Shaaban case, the lawsuit alleged that the infestation had not been cleared up when Shaaban rented the apartment at the end of September 2011, and that Barrett, the landlord, did not respond to another tenant’s complaints about bedbugs. Annapolis records show Barrett was taking steps in August 2011 to remedy a mice and potential bedbug infestation

When Shaaban went in April 2012 to Anne Arundel County housing officials for help in finding a new apartment, [her attorney, Daniel W. Whitney] said, she was told the rash was from bedbugs. The landlord’s effort to deal with the bedbugs worsened the infestation and damaged her personal property, Whitney said.

When Shaaban was evicted, scavengers took her belongings from the curb — despite her short-lived sign advising people not to, Whitney said. “All of these items went into the community infested,” he said.

Shaaban’s award breaks down to $150,000 in compensatory damages and $650,000 in punitive damages. This is one of the highest sums of money ever awarded to a bed bug victim, according to the Sun.
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Article from: http://dcist.com/2013/06/maryland_woman_gets_800000_in_bed_b.php