The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) is settling a lawsuit brought by a vacationer who claimed she was bitten by bedbugs during her vacation at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California.
What Happened: Los Angeles Magazine reported that the company paid $100,000 to resolve claims brought in Los Angeles County Superior Court by Ivy Eldridge, who said she was bitten numerous times by bedbugs during her April 2018 stay at the hotel.
In her lawsuit, Eldridge said she suffered physical and emotional damage from being bitten, which resulted in several rashes across her body. She added that she needed to discard clothing and personal items, and accused the company of failing to maintain a “decent, safe and habitable condition” within its hotel.
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Why It Happened: A Disney spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that the company opted to settle in order to avoid prolonged and expensive litigation.
“We have robust preventative measures in place so that our guests are comfortable and safe during their hotel stays,” the spokesperson said.
Eldridge’s attorney, Brian Virag, noted that this was not the first time that a Disney lodging establishment was sued over bedbug bites – a 2016 lawsuit was filed against Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, but that case lawsuit was dismissed before going to a jury.
Photo: Scene from "A Bug's Life," courtesy of Disney / Pixar
