Fort Lauderdale Injury Lawyer Blog

A rapidly advancing army of blood-sucking bed bugs is about to meet a new nemesis: New York City government. At City Hall on Wednesday, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Council Member Gale Brewer and Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs are expected to announce the findings of a bed bug task force -- a body formed in the wake of the escalating epidemic.

Complaints to the city's 311 line have been off the hook over the past few years as people from more and more neighborhoods have called to complain about the hard-to-kill critters. Remedies -- from bug sniffing dogs to high-heat dryers to cold sprays -- can be expensive. But the Bed Bug Advisory Board findings are expected to include broader measures, like asking the courts to prioritize housing cases involving bed bugs, and educating landlords about their responsibilities.

This growing problem is found not just in New York but all over the country including South Florida. We the tremendous amount of international travel that goes through Florida's airports and cruise lines, Florida is a haven for bed bugs especially in local hotels and motels. If you or a loved one have suffered bed bug bites due to the negligence of a hotel or motel, please contact the injury lawyers at The Citron Law Firm today. Our Fort Lauderdale bed bug bite lawyers will be happy to assist you with building and prosecuting your case.

Continue reading "Task Force Put in Place to Fight Bed Bugs" »

According to a study released Monday, 67 percent of nearly 1,000 pest management companies surveyed have treated bedbug infestations in hotels or motels. Overall, bed bug calls and reported cases of bed bug bites have increased by 81 percent since 2000, according to the National Pest Management Association, which conducted the 2010 Comprehensive Global Bed Bug Study with the University of Kentucky.

Infestations tend to occur more frequently in urban and suburban areas with larger populations, according to the study, but the tiny pests aren't particular about their accommodations. Bedbugs may take up residence anywhere from houses and laundry facilities to budget hotels and four- and five-star resorts. Though the insects aren't known to transmit disease to humans, bites may itch and cause an allergic reaction in some people. Researchers identify increased travel as a key reason for the spike in infestations.

While travelers may be horrified to find bedbugs in a hotel room, cleanliness isn't a factor in the pests' arrival. It's not a hygiene issue, and that's a very important thing for all consumers to understand. Bedbugs are brought into hotels by guests; it is not a hotel sanitation issue. The increase in bedbugs has had little impact on the majority of hotels, the association said. A trained and knowledgeable housekeeping staff is one of the best lines of defense, along with having regular pest control inspections.

The lodging association conducted symposiums last summer to address preventive and corrective measures for dealing with bedbugs, and the Environmental Protection Agency held a National Bedbug Summit last year in response to the pests' resurgence. On its website, the lodging association advises daily inspection of linens, mattress and box-spring seams, headboards and bedding by hotel staff. Staff should look for live insects as well as signs of the pests, including spots of dried blood or excrement. Travelers should also conduct a brief room inspection upon arrival, looking at the linens, the mattress, the headboard, upholstered furniture and drawers where clothes will be stored. Henriksen advises guests to store luggage in the bathroom during the room check, where hard surfaces make bedbug infestation less likely.

Getting rid of the pests can be costly. Depending on the level of infestation, treating for bedbugs can cost a homeowner several hundred to several thousand dollars. Most of the pest control experts surveyed, about 90 percent, reported treating for bedbugs in apartments, condos and single-family homes, and 4 to 5 percent reported treating infestations in laundry facilities and movie theaters. Bedbugs were identified as the most difficult pest to treat by 76 percent of the nearly 1,000 U.S. and international pest control companies surveyed.

The Citron Law Firm specializes in bed bug bite cases and cases of hotel negligence and motel negligence. For a no-cost consultation from one of our Fort Lauderdale bed bug bite lawyers, please call our firm today.

Continue reading "Bed Bugs Gaining Ground In South Florida" »

A pit bull may seem an unlikely savior, given its reputation for powerful jaws, lockdown dog bites and aggression. But some Miami-Dade pit bull owners are among a small but growing group of individuals who are exempt from Miami-Dade's pit bull ban, enacted in 1989 after an 8-year-old girl was mauled by a neighbor's pit bull. Within the past year, Miami-Dade Animal Services has registered about half a dozen pit bulls as service animals for people with disabilities in an emerging trend.

Under federal rules, any guide or signal dog that is individually trained to assist someone with a physical or mental disability qualifies as a service animal - and Federal law trumps Miami-Dade's ordinance. A growing number of citizens that claim to have a disability in Miami-Dade County are registering their pit bulls as service animals. That is a loophole that people have found. It is a challenge to verify that a dog is a service animal because federal rules do not require any special certification for the animal. In addition, the Americans With Disabilities Act restricts the county from asking specific questions about medical conditions.

Anyone can train a service animal under the federal guidelines. International standards recommend a minimum of 120 hours over six months for service animals, which can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars. Miami-Dade's ban covers American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers or any dog that matches most of those breeds' traits. Other U.S. cities, such as Denver and Cincinnati, have banned pit bulls. Broward County does not have a ban, though at least two cities there -- Sunrise and Tamarac -- require pit bulls to be registered.

Of course, this is a very contraversial issue that has surfaced in Miami-Dade County. Our law firm specializes in dog bite and animal attack cases. Please contact the Weston dog bite lawyers and Weston animal attack attorneys at The Citron Law Firm to discuss your case with one of our lawyers at no cost to you. We will happily discuss your rights and provide you with a comprehensive plan of attack in order to obtain the most compensation for your injuries.

Continue reading "Pit Bull Owners Registering Dogs as Service Animals to Circumvent Miami-Dade County Ban" »

South Florida residents continue to voice their objections to one of the country's strictest ordinances, a law that affects all dog owners in Broward County. Recently, a group of concerned residents attended the Broward County Animal Care Advisory Committee meeting to speak out against the ordinance which has gotten a lot of attention lately after two dogs were ordered put down.

"As one of the only counties in the state of Florida that has this one strike and you're out law, I really implore you all to do something for these dogs," dog owner Suzanne Citere told the committee. The committee takes general public comment at the start of each meeting; discussion of the ordinance itself, however, was not on the agenda.

Among those in attendance were Beth and Lon Lipsky, owners of a Brandie, a Siberian husky who was put on death row after an incident that left a toy poodle dead. Although Brandie was on a leash at the time of the incident, and the Lipskys say the dog bite was provoked by the toy poodle, the county ruled against them and ordered Brandie be put to death.

According to Broward's law, a dog is considered dangerous if the dog attacks unprovoked, kills another animal, bites a person or fights another dog. Broward's ordinance -- a law that animal advocates have been trying to get overturned -- calls for dogs to be put down after a first offense. Critics say the law is cruel and unconstitutional. They also cite other municipalities that have laws that protect against dangerous dogs, but don't demand that a dog be killed after just one incident. State law allows for two fatal attacks on animals before a dog is declared dangerous and three before it is euthanized.

The Citron Law Firm specializes in dog bite and animal bite cases. Our Weston dog bite lawyers and Weston animal bite lawyers will assist you in prosecuting a claim against the owner of the offending dog.

Continue reading "Fort Lauderdale, Florida Residents Object to Dangerous Dog Ordinance" »

In a way, it's ironic that Kailen Gonzalez is studying to be a surgical technician. The native of Fort Lauderdale is hoping that a plastic surgeon can fix the scars from a dog bite injury after she needed 25 stitches to close wounds in her face. It is not known if Gonzalez would be seeking legal retribution for her injuries and to help pay for her medical bills, although people harmed in a dog attack would be well advised to contact a dog bite lawyer who specializes in these case like The Citron Law Firm in order to achieve full benefit from dog bite law.

According to reports, two pit bulls were euthanized as a consequence of the attack on Gonzalez and a dog that was in her care at the time. While details of the attack are somewhat vague, Gonzalez--a self-confessed animal lover--was dog sitting when the attack occurred in Fort Lauderdale's Victoria Park neighborhood. A male pit bull named Bobby and a female pit bull dubbed Shelbi are alleged to have turned on Gonzalez and the Silky terrier in her care. The terrier was killed in the attack, and Gonzales received a dog bite injury to the face that required 25 stitches to close.

Following an investigation by the Animal Care and Regulation Division of Broward County in Florida, officials ordered the two pit bulls euthanized in accordance with a year-old ordinance that allows for the County to put down a dog if it has been shown to commit a single, unprovoked attack that seriously injures an individual.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta estimates that there are more than 4.5 million individuals bitten by dogs nationwide each year. Sadly, the most frequent victims are small children and the elderly. A dog bite injury is not only physically painful, it can be particularly traumatic emotionally--and especially for children. Such an event could have lasting psychological effects. Little wonder that The Citron Law Firm is often called in to apply dog bite law, when an unprovoked attack by a dog results in physical and emotional harm.

Should you or a family member be the victim of a dog bite or animal bite, please contact the Weston dog bite lawyers and Weston animal bite lawyers at The Citron Law Firm for advice. We will invesitgate the claim, document the injuries, engage Animal Control and handle any insurance claim.

Continue reading "Fort Lauderdale Medical Student Suffers Dog Bite to Face" »

Summer is a time for vacation getaways, fun in the sun and bed bugs. The inspiration to a classic bedtime rhyme, bedbugs have become an emerging problem on the Treasure Coast, and experts say summer is the peak season for the parasitic insects.

"This is the time people are traveling in and out of motels or hotels, which are where bedbugs are common," said Bob Curran, a volunteer for Martin County's extension of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture. "The pests are traveling with their human carriers on skin and in luggage, and being transported to people's homes."
It's in these homes that the reddish-brown insects the size of apple seeds settle into their prefered habitats: crevices in mattresses, box springs and other common sleeping areas.

They become active at night, when they feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, especially humans. "Once they infest a house, the bedbugs are very difficult to control," Curran said. A study by UF suggests fumigation by a bedbug exterminator is the most effective method to eliminate the pests, and because of the rise in bedbug cases, many pest control companies offer bedbug treatment.

What can homeowners/tenants do to protect themselves?

Inspect vintage furniture, antiques and used appliances or consignment items for signs of bedbugs before bringing them into the home.

Never pick up used mattresses or furniture left curbside. They were probably discarded for a reason.

Inspect and wash (in warm water) previously worn clothing that has been donated or purchased.

Use zippered encasements on mattresses and box springs. This will help keep these items from becoming infested and will trap the bedbugs inside if bedbugs are already present.

Quarantine infested items. Often, the first reaction is to move infested items to an alternate room. This will only spread the problem.

What can travelers do to keep from bringing them home?

Check headboards, mattresses and box springs for bedbugs and the dark blood spots they leave behind.

Hang all clothing. Leave nothing lying on the bed or furniture.

Avoid unpacking clothing and storing them in the hotel's furniture drawers.

Don't allow your baggage to sit on the floor. Store it on a luggage rack as far from the bed as possible.

If you notice evidence of bedbugs, request another room or change hotels.

When returning home, leave luggage in the garage or basement until you are able to thoroughly inspect it for bedbugs.

Vacuum suitcases when returning from trips and immediately wash clothing in hot water.

If you or someone you know has suffered bed bug bites during a hotel or motel stay, please call the Fort Lauderdale bed bug lawyers at The Citron Law Firm for advice on how to best handle the situation. We will preserve the evidence necessary to aggressively prosecute your claim.

Continue reading "Bed Bugs Infesting South Florida" »

A woman was taken to the hospital with injuries after being attacked by two pit bulls and a Rottweiler in front of a Fort Lauderdale church. The 44-year-old woman was walking along North Andrews Avenue when the dogs ran out of a nearby yard after a gate had been left open. People passing through the area saw the woman struggling for help and were able to stop the dogs from attacking further. They brought the dogs back to the yard and closed the gate. The victim was taken to the hospital at her request.

Her attack came just after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recent National Dog Bite Prevention Week. According to the CDC, 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year, and about one in five of those attacks require medical attention.

One-third of dog bite related fatalities come from pit bulls. While pit bull ownership has been illegal in Miami-Dade County since 1989, Broward has no laws to forbid or control the breed. Florida has had a ban on breed-specific laws since 1990, but state legislators introduced a bill in March that would give all communities the right to regulate dogs based on breed. If the bill passes, cities and counties could require owners of specific breeds to muzzle their dogs or carry insurance.

Our firm specializes in dog bite and animal bite cases. Should you or a loved one be the victim of a dog or animal attack, please contact our Fort Lauderdale dog bite lawyers for free advice. We will fight to protect your rights.

Continue reading "Woman Attacked by Dangerous Dogs in Fort Lauderdale" »

Abercrombie & Fitch closed its second store in New York last week due to bed bug infestation. The store announced that the normal return policy is in place and noted that as a precaution returned products will be quarantined and tested.

New York City's health department said it offered guidance to the company and that it is proactively treating the store. While the department said it knew of no other instances of bed bugs at city stores, it is the responsibility of companies to treat bed bug problems.

Should you or a loved one be bitten by bed bugs, please contact the Florida bed bug lawyers at our firm for advice. We will handle the case from the investigation stage through trial and provide you will a list of quality medical providers to treat the bed bug bites.

Continue reading "Abercrombie & Fitch Closes Two Stores Due to Bed Bug Infestation" »

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has initiated National Dog Bite Prevention Week in the United States. Many Florida companies including pet stores, dog groomers and pet sitters are spreading the word that this week should be a time dedicated to the awareness of dog bites and dog attacks.

The CDC reports that half of all children in the United States will be bitten by a dog by the age of twelve. A majority of these bites will be caused by family dogs or dogs that are known to the child. The two most important things that a parent can do to prevent a family dog from biting a child is to train the dog with a professional trainer and to supervise your child whenever they are playing with a dog - even if the dog is your own.

The three most important things to teach your children about safety when with dogs and other animals to prevent animal attacks are not to hug and kiss a dog, not to tease a dog and to remain still if a strange dog approaches.

For more information on dog bite prevention week or programs being to recognize it, please contact the Florida dog bite lawyers at our firm. We are happy to help out.

Continue reading "Florida Celebrates National Dog Bite Prevention Week" »

The United States Postal Service is celebrating its dog bite prevention week. The goal of the program is to try to reduce the 2,863 letter carriers that were bitten by dogs last year alone. It is not just mail carriers that feel the effects of dog bites and animal attacks. Approximately 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs in the United States each year.

The post office asks that when a mail carrier comes to your home to lock up your dog before coming to the door to avoid unfortunate bites. The post office also requests that children do not accept mail deliveries at the front door because a dog can escape a child's control and attack a carrier.

If you or a loved one were the victims of a dog bite or animal bite, please call the Fort Lauderdale dog bite lawyers at our firm to evaluate your case and offer help. We will fight for your rights.

Continue reading "U.S. Postal Service Celebrates Dog Bite Prevention Week" »

If you and your family are unfortunate enough to be bitten by bed bugs while staying in a hotel or motel in South Fliorida or suffered these injuries on a cruise here are some tips on what to do:

1. Seek immediate medical treatment. Individuals can be bitten a hundred times or more. Accordingly, you could suffer a severe allergic reaction, the bites themselves could become infected and you could suffer permanent scarring if the appropriate medical care is not sought.

2. Take photographs of the bed bug bites on your body. Photographic evidence is the key to a successful outcome in these cases. Also, take pictures of the room you were staying in. Pull up the sheets and take photographs of the mattress and, if you can, live bed bugs. This will preserve the evidence of the infestation.

3. Notify the hotel/motel owner or manager of what happened as soon as reasonably possible. Do not wait until you are about to check out of the room to make the report. If possible, fill out a written incident report and obtain a coopy of it so the hotel/motel has a written record of your complaint. If the hotel/motel will not offer you an incident report, report the problem to the local police department.

4. Immediately call The Citron Law Firm and our Florida bed bug bite lawyers as soon as you are aware of the bites and the infestation in your room. We can help guide you through how best to report and document the incident.

Continue reading "Tips On What To Do If Your Florida Hotel or Motel Room Has Bed Bugs" »

If you or a loved one are the victim of a dog bite in South Florida, the following are steps that should be taken after the attack:

1. Move the victim of the attack away from the assailant dog as quickly as possible and secure the animal.

2. Contact the paramedics or other health care provider to evaluate and treat the wounds.

3. Cleanse the wounds with antiseptic until the paramedics arrive on the scene.

4. Obtain immunization information from the owner of the assailant animal following the dog bite or animal bite to determine if its shots are up to date.

5. Contact your local police department to file a police report and have witness statements recorded.

6. Contact your local animal control office to report to the dog bite.

7. Photograph the wounds to preserve evidence of the extent of the bites/puncture marks.

8. Call the Florida dog bite lawyers at The Citron Law Firm for a no-cost consultation.

Continue reading "Dog Bite Victims - What to Do Following the Attack" »

The following suggestions should be considered when traveling to avoid being bitten by bed bugs and to prevent bringing bed bugs back home with you:

1. Before booking your hotel, check traveler reviews on popular bed bug reporting websites.

2. Pack belongings in snap and seal storage bags and consider protecting your mattresses and box springs with bed bug-proof encasements.

3. Before leaving home, spray your luggage inside and out with a bed bug control luggage spray.

4. When checking in, inspect the room. Remove linens and check the mattress, particularly seams and welts, for live bugs, shed exoskeletons and black or rusty fecal stains. Use a flashlight to look behind the headboard, picture frames, in drawers, along baseboards. If you see signs of bed bugs, ask for another room or go to a different hotel.

5. While at the hotel, keep your suitcase and possessions off the bed, floor and upholstered furniture. Store suitcases on luggage racks or tables and keep them closed. Don't lay clothing on the bed. Hang purses in the closet.

If you suspect bed bugs or develop itchy red welts from bed bug bites, notify the hotel management immediately and ask for another room in a different part of the building or check into a different hotel. It might be wise to trap bed bugs in a pill bottle or sealed plastic bag to show the manager of the hotel or motel as proof of the problem. Also, call the attorneys at The Citron Law Firm.

Our Florida bed bed bite lawyers are happy to assist in the evaluation of your bed bug bite claim. Please schedule an appointment today.

Continue reading "Tips for Avoiding Bed Bug Bites on Vacation in Florida" »

Our firm has handled numerous bed bug bite cases against hotel and motel chains throughout the State of Florida as well as against nationally known furniture rental companies. People all over Florida have experienced the consequences of just how devastating these tiny insects can be. Because they are so small, it's easy for them to live in furniture and hide indoors. And when they bite, it hurts.

The Citron Law Firm has represented clients in Florida who have been bitten by bed bugs. Our clients have sustained injuries including permanent scarring, headaches, nausea, aching and swollen joints after staying in hotels and motels throughout South Florida. Many of these injured victims continue to be bitten when they go home because their luggage has been infested by the bed bugs.

In addition to hotels and motels being infested with bed bugs, furniture rental companies also have issues with bed bugs. Furniture rental companies should inspect items to make sure they are in a safe condition and free from bed bugs. This process should include cleaning and exterminating mattresses as well as supervising store or warehouse managers who control or maintain the furniture. Hotels should also inspect their mattresses and make sure their rooms are in safe condition for their customers.

If you have sustained injuries from bed bug bites, contact our Florida bed bug bite lawyers who are experienced in handling bed bug bite cases.

Continue reading ""Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite" You In Florida" »

If taking a vacation this spring or summer, you should be aware of the exponential increase of bed bug infestations that are plaguing hotels, motels, and hostels. Cities throughout the State of Florida have had reported cases of bed bugs rise to epidemic proportions. Due to heavy foot traffic in hotels, motels, and hostels, these places have become havens for bed bugs, as travelers serve as vehicles for these pests to spread.

The common bed bug, is oval shaped, light brown to reddish in color, and 5-7 mm long. They are nocturnal, can see in infrared, and are attracted to the carbon dioxide people expel by breathing deeply when they sleep.

It is not your breath that they are after though, but your blood. Much like mosquitos, these bugs have anticoagulants and anesthetics in their saliva, so most people don't feel that they are being bitten.

Bed bug bites can be horrific. Though some people are not adversely affected by the bites, most people claim that they are extremely itchy and annoying, especially if they have been bitten dozens of times throughout the night. It would be bad enough to suffer through the bites that bed bugs leave when you wake up in the morning in your hotel room, but even worse if they spread to your home by hitching a ride on your clothing or in your luggage.

If you or somone you know has stayed in a hotel that is infested with bed bugs and you have suffered bed bug bites, the Florida bed bug lawyers at our firm are happy to meet with you at your home or office to discuss your case and act on your behalf.

Continue reading "Bed Bugs on the Rise in Florida" »