PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – A woman living in Pinellas County is suing her apartment management after she says spider bites led to the amputation of two of her toes, as reported by 10 Tampa Bay News.
Patricia Shields seeks monetary compensation, alleging she had begun noticing spiders within two weeks of moving into Grand Oak Apartments in November 2024 several months after losing her home to Hurricane Helene.
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“I was happy, and then I kept getting bit over and over and over again,” Shields said, according to WTSP. “It was always in the bathroom.”
Though WTSP reported it has yet been unable to verify the type of spiders that could have bitten Shields, she said medical records and statements from doctors back up her story.
“The doctor came in and he goes, ‘We have to (amputate) or you’re going to end up losing your whole foot or your leg,’” Shields said, recalling what she expected to be a quick trip to urgent care. “I thought it was a joke.”
Court filings reportedly show the defendants in the case deny Shields’ allegations and claim the complaint fails to plead with specificity. WTSP reports a motion to dismiss (or, in the alternative, for a more definite statement) has been filed.