Residents file bedbug lawsuit against Presidential Towers

March 2, 2007 (WLS) -- Some residents of a West Loop apartment complex filed a lawsuit against their building manger after allegedly being bitten by bedbugs. The suit alleges Presidential Towers is infested with the insects.

"You see a number of things. You see bites on her arms on her chest, on her chin on her face, and all these things indicate sights where the bed bugs crawled and fed on the person, they feed exclusively on blood," said Peter Stamatis, lawyer.

Stamatis' three clients in the case, all of whom live in Presidential Towers, 500-block of West Madison, launched a class action lawsuit against the building's manager, The Habitat Company. The lawsuit claims the building knew about infestation problems on the 31st and 38th floors of at least one building for months and was negligent in fixing the problem.

"My clients have been bitten since last fall. Just by the nature of the beast, you have to know there have to be other units that have been affected," said Stamatis.

Bedbugs, which hide in cracks and crevices during the day, attack at night by injecting their host with anesthetic to mask the feeding frenzy.

"I think I have seen a small increase," said Dr. Clarence Brown, Rush University Medical Center.

Dr. Brown, a skin specialist, said that those who have been bittern have itchy swollen bites for days, especially along their veins. Many people have trouble understanding it's bedbugs.

"They're confused, actually, why do I have this rash? It itches so much. Where did it come from? They are skeptical when you convey that you are convinced that this is actually insect bites and that bedbugs might be one of the possibilities," said Dr. Brown.

Stamatis's clients said they want The Habit Company to take action, which the company promised in a letter released to residents on Friday. The letter calls the lawsuit's claims 'baseless' but also says the company 'would be happy to set up an appointment' for free bedbug inspection.

If this case goes to trial, the plaintiffs say they will seek in excess of $50,000 each for property and psychological damage.

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