April 9, 2009
Texas Motel’s Alleged Failure to Change Bedding Has Huntington Resident at Risk for HIV
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) -- When you lie down to sleep while traveling on business or pleasure, you do not expect to find your back pierced by a used hypodermic needle found in motel bedding. However, Huntington resident Douglas Hodge had that happen March 17, 2007 while staying at a Super 8 Motel in Baytown, Texas, a suburb of Houston.
According to a legal complaint filed in the District Civil Court of Harris County Texas, Mr. Hodge “was preparing for bed, reclined back onto the bed and was pierced in his back by a dirty, used hypodermic needle.” Upon ripping off the covers, he discovered numerous dirty hypodermic needles and used alcohol swabs, the complaint filed by Mark Underwood states.
A 911 operator instructed Hodge to go to an emergency room. Baytown police were called to the motel, but they did not make a report. EMS took the used needles to a hospital for disposal. The motel manager took Hodge to San Jancinto Methodist Hospital, where he underwent blood tests, was given antibiotics to “clean the blood, cleaned the pierced site, and told him “he would need to undergo several series of repeat blood tests for HIV and Hepatitis over the next year.”
Despite the seriousness of the occurrence which put the plaintiff “on pins and needles” for a year, the motel refused to pay his medical expenses.
In addition to the medical expenses, Hodge alleges that he suffered “mental anguish, fear and anxiety that he could possibly have contracted an infections life threatening disease,” said Mark Underwood in a press release.
The complaint names Sandra Hodge as a plaintiff as her husband could “no longer provide love, companionship, affection, society, moral support, financial support and solace.”
As Underwood asks, Who had been sleeping in the Super 8 bed in Texas?
For a link to the complaint, click here
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Texas Motel’s Alleged Failure to Change Bedding Has Huntington Resident at Risk for HIV
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) -- When you lie down to sleep while traveling on business or pleasure, you do not expect to find your back pierced by a used hypodermic needle found in motel bedding. However, Huntington resident Douglas Hodge had that happen March 17, 2007 while staying at a Super 8 Motel in Baytown, Texas, a suburb of Houston.
According to a legal complaint filed in the District Civil Court of Harris County Texas, Mr. Hodge “was preparing for bed, reclined back onto the bed and was pierced in his back by a dirty, used hypodermic needle.” Upon ripping off the covers, he discovered numerous dirty hypodermic needles and used alcohol swabs, the complaint filed by Mark Underwood states.
A 911 operator instructed Hodge to go to an emergency room. Baytown police were called to the motel, but they did not make a report. EMS took the used needles to a hospital for disposal. The motel manager took Hodge to San Jancinto Methodist Hospital, where he underwent blood tests, was given antibiotics to “clean the blood, cleaned the pierced site, and told him “he would need to undergo several series of repeat blood tests for HIV and Hepatitis over the next year.”
Despite the seriousness of the occurrence which put the plaintiff “on pins and needles” for a year, the motel refused to pay his medical expenses.
In addition to the medical expenses, Hodge alleges that he suffered “mental anguish, fear and anxiety that he could possibly have contracted an infections life threatening disease,” said Mark Underwood in a press release.
The complaint names Sandra Hodge as a plaintiff as her husband could “no longer provide love, companionship, affection, society, moral support, financial support and solace.”
As Underwood asks, Who had been sleeping in the Super 8 bed in Texas?
For a link to the complaint, click here
Share This Story:
Make HNN Your Homepage (IE Users Only)
