Jury Awards Couple $129K in Termite Damage Case

A federal jury has ordered Orkin Inc. to pay a Bettendorf couple nearly $129,000 in damages after their home was damaged by termites.

The jury found Orkin had committed “negligent misrepresentation” in its work on the home owned by Lonnie and Terry Pool.

The couple signed a contract with Orkin in 1997 for routine treatment after a terminate infestation was discovered in the home.

The couple says they discovered extensive termite damage in 2005 to the home’s structure, which required significant renovations and the couple to move out for months.

The jury awarded $86,640 in damages for repairs to the home, $37,100 for loss in fair market value after the repairs were done and $5,000 for the loss of use of the home during construction.