Man Sues Hotel Alleging He Lost His Hearing After Cockroach Crawled Into His Ear While He Was Asleep

A man filed a lawsuit against the Sands Ocean Club Resort in South Carolina last month claiming he suffered hearing loss after a cockroach crawled into his ear while he was asleep, FOX 8 News reports. 

Todd VanSickle claims in his suit that the July 30, 2021 incident caused him “extreme pain and loss of hearing.” He has also allegedly “suffered painful and permanent injuries; has incurred and will continue to incur medical expenses; has suffered and will continue to suffer pain and discomfort; has suffered and will continue to suffer loss of wages and earning capacity,” per Newsweek. 

VanSickle alleges his daily routine at work and home have been disrupted by his fateful hotel stay. 

VanSickle accuses Sands Ocean Club Resort of being “grossly negligent” for failing to clean his room and inspect for roaches, while also not providing a pest control service. Sands Ocean Club Homeowners Association and Ocean Annie’s Operations Inc., the operators of the hotel, are included in VanSickle’s lawsuit. He’s seeking an unspecified amount in damages. 

A 2021 study conducted by Amerisleep, which looked at 8,000 inspector reports for over 3,400 hotels, found that 17 percent of one-star hotels have a vermin control problem, while 14 percent of two-star hotels are dealing with the same issue, Newsweek points out. In addition to cockroaches, the most common pests found in hotels include mice, flies and bed bugs. 

People are advised to check for a trail of small black droppings which could clue guests to the recent existence of cockroaches in the room.