Portland nail salon faces second lawsuit over herpes allegations

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – A woman has filed a lawsuit against a Portland nail salon, claiming she contracted herpes during an appointment. This is the second lawsuit filed against the same company over a similar claim.

The lawsuit, filed Monday, says the woman went to PDX Nails and Lashes at 11946 Northeast Glisan Street in August of last year for acrylic nails and a hand massage. A month later, her doctor told her that she had been infected with herpes.

According to the lawsuit, a technician worked on the woman’s nails without gloves. She said she was initially happy with the result of the manicure, but that changed the next day.

A day after the appointment, she reported starting to feel a burning and tingling sensation along her right little finger. The next day, she had a painful, itchy blister.

The lawsuit says these symptoms have continued to appear periodically since the appointment. A doctor later confirmed they were caused by the HSV-2 virus, more commonly known as genital herpes. The lawsuit says she can take medication to manage the symptoms, but there is no known cure for HSV-2.

This is not the first time a customer has claimed to have contracted HSV-2 after visiting PDX Nails. Another person claimed to have been diagnosed with the illness after an appointment in 2023. This lawsuit was settled out of court.

The salon has not commented publicly on these two lawsuits. On its website, the show specifies: “At PDX Nails & Lashes, we prioritize cleanliness and hygiene. Our salon is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and adheres to strict health protocols to ensure a safe and hygienic environment.”

In the new lawsuit, the woman is seeking up to $2.5 million in damages from the salon. She is also seeking an additional $2.5 million from the state of Oregon, saying the state should have investigated the first claim and taken steps to prevent something like this from happening again.

FOX 12 reached out to PDX Nails for comment on the new lawsuit and they said they had no comment.