In a landmark legal victory, attorney Brian Virag secured a $2 million jury award for his clients, Alvaro Gutierrez and Ramiro Sanchez, after they suffered severe bed bug bites during a one-night stay at the Shores Inn in Ventura, California. The incident occurred on February 7, 2020, and the lawsuit, filed in December 2021, alleged that the hotel management was aware of a longstanding bed bug infestation but failed to address it, despite multiple online reviews warning of the issue. The jury awarded Gutierrez $400,000 and Sanchez $600,000 in compensatory damages, along with $500,000 each in punitive damages, marking one of the largest known bed bug-related jury awards. Following the verdict, the hotel has hired appellate attorney Wendy Lascher and may challenge the ruling.
