A guest at a luxury Las Vegas hotel has filed a lawsuit after an alarming encounter with a scorpion that allegedly stung him on his testicles during his stay. The incident, which occurred late last year, has left the guest with lasting emotional trauma, and PTSD, and has significantly impacted his marital life, according to court documents.
The Incident: A painful awakening
Michael Farchi, a 62-year-old resident of Agora Hills, California, was staying at The Venetian, a well-known Las Vegas resort, shortly after Christmas on December 26.
Farchi recounts the harrowing moment when he awoke to intense pain in his groin, describing the sensation as being stabbed by “sharp glass or a knife.” It was then that he discovered a scorpion had made its way into his bed and delivered a venomous sting to his private parts. “I just felt like somebody stabbing me in my private area,” Farchi told 8 News Now in Las Vegas. “It felt like a sharp glass or a knife.” He further detailed how he found the scorpion clinging to his underwear when he rushed to the bathroom to assess the situation.
Legal Action: Claims of negligence and emotional distress
Farchi, who managed to capture images of the scorpion as evidence, has since filed a lawsuit against The Venetian, citing emotional trauma and PTSD resulting from the incident.
The lawsuit, filed on August 27, alleges that the hotel failed in its duty to provide a clean and safe environment, free from dangerous vermin such as scorpions. “The hotel owed a duty of care to Plaintiffs to provide a clean, safe, and sanitary room that was free of vermin, bed bugs, or similar things, including scorpions,” stated Farchi’s attorney, Brian Virag, in the lawsuit.
The suit also claims that the hotel was aware of an “infestation of poisonous, deadly scorpions,” and that ongoing construction at the resort may have exacerbated the problem. In addition to seeking compensation for Farchi’s suffering, the lawsuit also includes a claim for loss of consortium on behalf of Farchi’s wife, who alleges that their sex life has drastically changed since the incident. Farchi also claimed that when he reported the incident to hotel staff, he was met with ridicule rather than concern. “They were just holding their groin area and laughing about it. It was really embarrassing,” Farchi recalled.
Awaiting justice: A call for accountability
The case now awaits a jury trial, where a decision will be made regarding the compensation Farchi seeks for his pain, suffering, and mental distress. The lawsuit underscores the broader issue of hotel safety and the responsibility of establishments to protect their guests from unforeseen dangers. Farchi’s attorney emphasized the need for accountability, stating, “From our understanding, there was some ongoing construction at the time that this incident happened — just before the incident happened and the time the incident happened.” The outcome of the trial could set a significant precedent for similar cases in the future.