A California man was not expecting his stay at a Las Vegas resort to take the turn it did when he was stung on the testicles by a scorpion while sleeping. Michael Farchi was staying at the Venetian Las Vegas during the holidays in 2023 when he awoke to a stinging feeling on December 26, 2023. “I just felt like somebody stabbing me in my private area,” he said. “It felt like a sharp glass or a knife. I went to the restroom, and I saw a scorpion hanging on my underwear,” the man recalled of the incident.
The man went on to explain that he didn't ask how the scorpion got into his room. “Nobody told me about any option, it just was under my cover.”
He ended up filing a medical incident report with the hotel which read, “I have been bitten by a scorpion at my groin/testicles.” He also noted that the injury sustained caused “a lot of pain.”
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According to the Mayo Clinic, scorpion stings are "painful but rarely life-threatening." Younger children and older adults are more at risk of complications from getting stung by one.
“Everybody was in shock. Nobody believed, even I couldn’t believe,” Michael said. “When you check into a hotel, you expect to be safe,” his lawyer, Brian Virag, added.
"I'm certain that the Venetian, like every major hotel, has policies and procedures in place to try to avoid something like this," he continued. "However it's one thing to have policies and procedures in place, it's another thing to make sure they're followed."
A spokesperson for the Venetian Las Vegas told People that "the resort has protocols for all incidents and we can confirm they were followed in this incident." Michael, however, recently shared that the hotel never comped him for anything. He still had to pay for his room, food, and other expenses.
"I didn't get anything. No sorry, no nothing," he said. Michael and his lawyer are now looking into filing a lawsuit. "We'd like to give the Venetian the opportunity to do the right thing," his lawyer noted. "Obviously what happened to him is a traumatic event. He continues to have medical issues and obviously emotional issues because something like this you'll never forget in your life."
"Wow this is crazy that they have not tried to comp him in any way," someone stated in the comments.
Another person added: "He was stung by a legit scorpion. I would definitely sue them."
Scorpions are native to Nevada, with there being about 25 species that are “relatively harmless,” according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
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