California Pilot Sues Sheraton Denver Hotel and Marriott After Bat Bite; Final Bat Tested Negative for Rabies

A California pilot filed a lawsuit last month in Colorado state court against the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel and Marriott International after bats entered his room and one bit him on the foot. The pilot awoke around 2:30 a.m. or 3 a.m.

On August 30 to multiple bats flying inside the room. Hotel maintenance staff removed several bats but declined to move him to another room. Bats had entered through an opening underneath the air-conditioning unit, and the pilot attempted to plug the gap with a towel.

Animal control captured the remaining bat and recommended immediate rabies treatment because two bats in the area had tested positive for the disease in the prior month. The pilot received an initial round of treatment that day and flew home to California that night. The final bat tested negative for rabies, and the pilot did not contract the disease.

The pilot, a 46-year-old married father of one from Anaheim, incurred approximately $102,000 in medical expenses. His health insurance covered the full amount with no out-of-pocket cost. The lawsuit seeks damages for the medical bills plus pain and suffering.

The pilot's attorney stated he attempted to negotiate a settlement before filing but that Marriott's offer was less than one-quarter of the medical bills. Marriott argued that no one was at fault for the bats' presence. Fewer than 10 human rabies deaths occur each year in the United States, with 70 percent resulting from contact with infected bats, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.