Politics & Government

Bedbugs Cost Elkridge Retailer $225,000

A jury's ruling against Calidad Furniture on Thursday was "one of the largest bedbug liability judgments in the country," according to the Baltimore Sun.


Adarien Jackson of Severn won a rare victory after her family suffered a bout with bed bugs, according to the Baltimore Sun.

In a lawsuit over bedbug-infested mattresses that Jackson purchased from Elkridge retailer  in 2010, an Anne Arundel County jury ruled on March 8 in Jackson's favor to the tune of $225,000.

The sum was $100,000 more than Jackson—whose two children had seen pediatricians for bumps and rashes that turned out to be bed bug bites—was seeking, according to the Baltimore Sun, which reported that this was "one of the largest bedbug liability judgments in the country."

Find out what's happening in Elkridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Elkridge furniture store, , has since gone out of business.

During a liquidation sale in September, the store, which was run by a man by the name of Mario, was remaining open and merely clearing out a storage warehouse.

Find out what's happening in Elkridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On March 10, staff at the new store, called Mario's Furniture (which employees said was not the same Mario employed by the previous tenant), reported that Calidad went out of business in October.

The bedbug case is one of several in which Calidad owes money.

Calidad was ordered to pay nearly $28,000 to a rug dealer it owed in August. In November, a lien was placed on Calidad's property by the state of Maryland, which said that it owed $4,492 in taxes. 


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