A woman in Florida is suing her former apartment complex after she reportedly lost two toes to spider bites she received in her home.
Patricia Shields told 10 Tampa Bay News that she had to have two of her toes amputated because of infections that she contracted from spider bites she'd received while living at Grand Oak Apartments in Largo, Florida.
She said there were spiders in her apartment constantly. Shields told the outlet that she first noticed the spiders two weeks after she moved into the apartment in November.
“That was horrifying. I was never so scared in my life,” Shields told the broadcaster. “I kept getting bit over and over and over again. It was always in the bathroom.”
She said she began to suffer from oozing wounds and swelling near the area of the bites, and eventually sought medical assistance at an urgent care. The workers there called for an ambulance and she was taken to a hospital, where she was told her toes would need to be amputated in order to save her foot.
"The doctor came in and he goes, 'We have to or you're going to end up losing your whole foot or your leg,'" Shields told 10 Tampa Bay News. "I thought it was a joke."
Shields is now suing her former apartment complex and other defendants. She accuses the apartment of negligence, saying she reported the spider issue several times to her management. The lawsuit says that the apartment complex's management did not respond effectively to her complaint.
“They threw them away or blew me off, and then, the very last time, when I went and asked them to release me from the lease mutual agreement, they told me no,” she told the broadcaster.
Shields is on disability and can only afford to stay in Section 8 housing, so her options for alternative accommodations is limited.
She previously lived in a cottage home, but lost it to Hurricane Helene just months before she moved to the Grand Oak complex.
“I just want everything settled. I really just want to go back to my life,” Shields said.
Her lawsuit is asking for monetary compensation.
The defendants named in the lawsuit have denied Shields' allegations, saying they are not responsible for causing the injuries and damages included in Shields' lawsuit.
The Independent has requested comment from Grand Oak Apartments.
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