New York New York Hotel In Las Vegas Sued Over Bat In Room
Visit New York City, and you’re bound to come across a rat or ten. Scurrying around a restaurant, carrying pizza down subway stairs or as the bellhop at your hotel. According to a new lawsuit, a family was shocked to see a flying rat — a bat — in their hotel room at New York-New York Resort & Casino here in Las Vegas. Now they want compensation.
A lawsuit was filed on behalf of eight Arizona residents on Aug. 10, as first reported by Las Vegas Review-Journal. Four adults and four kids were in town for a volleyball event in April 2022. It’s alleged that one of the parents heard a rustling late at night. The man turned on the lights to see a live bat stuck between the curtains and the window. He reportedly took a shoe and thwacked the bat to death and placed it in a cup. He later reported the incident to the front desk.
On the next day the health department in their native Maricopa County, Arizona suggested the bat be tested for rabies. However when they asked the hotel to do so, they had allegedly already chucked the bat in the trash. That led the families to have to get several shots to prevent contracting rabies. Obviously quite the downer for the trip.
We believe the bat looked something like this pic.twitter.com/Qry9u8dfak
— Las Vegas Locally 🌴 (@LasVegasLocally) August 22, 2023
The lawsuit seeks a minimum of $15,000 due to, you know, allegedly having a hotel room with a bat in it and not knowing to test it. Considering the cost of the rooms, the resort fees, the parking, the pain of the shots and the trouble it caused… there could be a case to be made.
Are bat sightings common in Las Vegas? Are they dangerous?
There are nearly two dozen different types of bats in Nevada alone. The assumption is that bats are these dirty villains in the night sky but the reality is… they are misunderstood. According to the Nevada Department of Wildlife, less than 1 percent of bats tested in the state show up positive for rabies.
Maybe next time book an Airbnb.