NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – A North Carolina woman has filed a lawsuit nearly two years after staying at a North Myrtle Beach home, claiming she was exposed to rabies after finding dead bats.
Kennedy Neiderer claims in the lawsuit she was exposed to nearly 200 bats, both dead and close to dying, in June 2017 during a week-long stay at a North Myrtle Beach rental home.
The rental home Neiderer and her family stayed in was on 205 12th Ave. North in North Myrtle Beach, according to the lawsuit.
Attorney Charles Leonard told News13 Neiderer woke up to several dead bats in close proximity to her.
The lawsuit states Neiderer slept in the living room area of the property and found numerous dead and dying bats in the entryway beside the living room.
The lawsuit claims exposure to dead bats presented the possibility of rabies and that Neiderer endured “numerous painful and disruptive rabies vaccinations,” costing the family large amounts in medical bills and procedures.
According to the lawsuit, James H. Benson was the property owner and Thomas Real Estate, Inc. was the rental agency for the property.
The lawsuit states, in part, “that defendants knew of the dangerous condition of the property at which the Plaintiff was staying.”
Prior renters had reported the bat infestation inside the home as “a colony exceeding 200 live bats” to the Department of Health and Environmental Control prior to Neiderer’s rental in June 2017 and “at least one of the bats was found to have rabies,” the lawsuit also claims.
The full lawsuit can be read here.
Count on News13 to keep you updated in this lawsuit.
