Legionnaires’ Disease Lawyer
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious and potentially deadly form of waterborne pneumonia. The bacteria that cause this disease infect humans when they contaminate large, man-made water sources, including public pools and air conditioning systems. Most cases of Legionnaires’ disease are preventable through regular water testing and disinfecting. If you have been infected with Legionnaires’ disease because of someone else’s negligence, there are legal options available to you.
Consulting with a Legionnaires’ disease lawyer is critical when considering a lawsuit. However, finding an attorney who is the best fit for you can be difficult. Contact Keep Food Safe today to learn how we can help connect you with a trustworthy attorney.
Filing a Legionnaires’ Disease Lawsuit
Because Legionnaires’ disease is preventable through regular testing and disinfecting of water systems, those infected due to someone else’s negligence may be eligible to file a Legionnaires’ disease lawsuit. The infected person must establish their exposure to the Legionella bacteria happened under the defendant’s watch.
How Can a Legionnaires’ Disease Lawyer Help?
Navigating a Legionnaires’ disease lawsuit can often be complex and overwhelming. Representation by a Legionnaires’ disease lawyer is vital. An attorney with experience handling waterborne illness cases will know the state-specific laws applicable to your case.
Additionally, a lawyer can gain access to corporate documents and health department reports that can expose the defendant’s negligence and prove your case. Keep Food Safe can help you find a Legionnaires’ disease lawyer to fight for you.
How Much Is a Legionnaires’ Disease Lawsuit Worth?
The amount of compensation a plaintiff can recover from a Legionnaires’ disease lawsuit depends on a variety of factors, including the severity of the illness, its lasting impact on the victim, the strength of the evidence, and how clear it is that the defendant was responsible.
A Legionnaires’ disease lawsuit is brought as a civil claim, meaning the victim can seek compensation for the losses they incurred from the illness. This compensation can come in the form of economic damages, which compensate the victim for their financial costs and losses, and non-economic damages, which compensate them for emotional, physical, and psychological suffering.
Among other things, compensation in a Legionnaires’ disease lawsuit can cover:
- Medical bills
- Rehabilitation or long-term care costs
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional and psychological distress
- Wrongful death
When a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak occurs, there may be many victims who can seek compensation. If many impacted individuals file lawsuits against one company, that company may be forced into bankruptcy. Consulting with an attorney as soon as possible can help you make sure there are funds available to compensate you for your damages.
Past Legionnaires’ disease lawsuits awarded significant compensation to victims and their loved ones. For example, in 2010, Ohio State University paid $1.2 million to the wife of a man who died from Legionnaires’ disease after drinking from a contaminated water fountain. Other past settlement amounts have ranged as high as $4.5 million.
What Is Legionnaires’ Disease?
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of infectious pneumonia caused by exposure to the Legionella bacterium. This disease is potentially fatal—about one in ten people infected die.
The Legionella bacterium occurs naturally and is commonly found in lakes and streams. However, Legionella bacteria can grow in man-made water systems, including hot tubs, plumbing systems, and air conditioning units.
Exposure to the Legionella bacteria typically occurs through inhalation of water droplets containing the bacteria. Although uncommon, it is also possible for Legionnaires’ disease to spread by person-to-person contact.
Because Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia, it primarily impacts the lungs. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough, which may produce mucus or even blood. However, Legionnaires’ causes various symptoms, including:
- High fever
- Headache and muscle aches
- Gastrointestinal symptoms, including vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea
- Confusion or disorientation
Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease typically develop within two to ten days following exposure to the Legionella bacterium. It is important to seek medical attention immediately if you suspect you have contracted Legionnaires’ disease.
What Causes Legionnaires’ Disease?
Again, legionnaires’ disease typically results from Legionella bacteria developing and spreading in man-made water systems. Most Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks are preventable with reasonable measures such as testing and maintaining water systems. Thus, negligence is a leading cause of infection.
Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreaks
Each year in the United States, there are more than 10,000 confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease, although many cases go unreported.
Outbreaks commonly occur in environments with large and complex water systems that have the potential to become contaminated and expose multiple people to the bacteria. These environments include hotels, nursing homes, cruise ships, public pools, and hospitals.
The largest recent outbreak in the United States occurred in 2019 when 136 individuals contracted Legionnaires’ disease while attending the Mountain State Fair in North Carolina. A contaminated hot tub display at the fair was the outbreak’s source.
In 2022, 19 people in New York City contracted Legionnaires’ disease when four cooling towers providing air conditioning and ventilation to buildings in the Bronx’s Highbridge neighborhood were contaminated.
How To Find the Source of Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreaks
Because Legionella grows in large and complex water systems, it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint an outbreak’s exact source. When major outbreaks occur, public health agencies will test water systems to locate the contamination source.
However, when someone is infected before the authorities identify an outbreak, the infected individual should contact local and state health departments so they can conduct testing and identify the contamination point.
Who Is Liable in a Legionnaires’ Disease Lawsuit?
Legionella is easily prevented and managed through regular cleaning and testing of water systems. Negligence in disinfecting and monitoring large plumbing systems often causes Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks, especially at hotels, hospitals, and other public facilities where staff should routinely monitor for contamination. When these establishments fail to keep people safe from Legionnaires’ disease, they may be liable for the damages.
What Do You Need To Prove To Win a Legionnaires’ Disease Lawsuit?
To win a Legionnaires’ disease lawsuit, you must prove someone else’s negligence caused your infection. For example, if you prove you contracted Legionnaires’ disease at an establishment due to improper cleaning and testing, this would normally satisfy the legal elements of causation. You may be eligible for compensation if you show that the infection caused economic and non-economic losses.
After an infection, it is important to take the following steps to ensure the contamination is investigated and recorded:
- Confirm that your physician notifies the state health department of the Legionnaires’ disease infection so they can investigate.
- Collect the investigation reports as evidence of the source of the infection.
- Collect relevant medical records to prove that a Legionnaires’ disease infection occurred
An attorney specializing in waterborne illness cases can investigate and access corporate and health department documents to strengthen your case.
What Is the Statute of Limitations in a Legionnaires’ Disease Lawsuit?
Each state sets a statute of limitations for cases involving illness or injury caused by someone else’s carelessness. These laws determine how long a victim has to file a lawsuit after becoming ill.
The statute of limitations for a Legionnaires’ disease lawsuit varies depending on the state where the infection occurred, ranging anywhere from just one year to several years. You must file suit within the specified timeframe.
You can lose your right to pursue compensation if you do not file suit within the mandated limitations period. These deadlines are crucial to your case and underscore the importance of promptly consulting with an experienced attorney after infection.
In addition, lawyers cannot access corporate and health department documents until a lawsuit is filed. Thus, quicker action will ensure you have access to critical proof in your case.
Hiring a Legionnaires’ Disease Lawyer
Establishments that maintain large water systems have a legal duty to ensure their water and air conditioning systems are safe and free of Legionella bacteria. If you have incurred medical bills, lost wages, or other damages because you contracted Legionnaires’ disease, you are entitled to pursue compensation.
Hiring a Legionnaires’ disease lawyer is critical. They can investigate your case thoroughly, access and obtain crucial evidence, and navigate state-specific laws and procedures to pursue compensation for you. An experienced lawyer will fight to hold the at-fault parties responsible for their failure to maintain proper testing and disinfecting practices.
Contact Keep Food Safe today to learn how we can help connect you with an experienced lawyer.
